Hollywood director accuses Elon Musk of copying Tesla Robots and Cybercab designs
Hollywood director Alex Proyas, known for his work on the 2004 sci-fi film I, Robot, accused Elon Musk of copying the movie elements of Tesla’s latest products.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Proyas shared side-by-side images of his film’s robots and futuristic cars alongside Musk’s Tesla Optimus robot and the recently revealed Cybercab.
Proyas captioned the post, “Hey Elon, can I have my designs back please?” refers to Tesla’s recently announced $30,000 Cybercab with two seats, butterfly-wing doors and no steering wheel—which bears a striking resemblance to the self-driving cars in I, Robot, which was based on Isaac Asimov’s 1950 book of the same name.
Musk also revealed an updated version of Tesla’s Optimus robot, a bipedal humanoid robot, which Proyas suggested featured the “NS-5” robots in his film that eventually turned on their human creators. Tesla’s Cybercab is expected to enter mass production in 2026, while the Optimus robot is still being developed as part of the company’s growing focus on AI and robotics.
However, some fans of the film were quick to point out that the car driven by Will Smith’s character in I, Robot was based on an Audi concept car that was included in the film as part of a product placement deal, making the casting case inaccurate. .
Set in 2035, I, Robot follows Smith’s character, a vigilante investigator of robots created to help humanity, as he uncovers an AI-driven conspiracy to control humanity. The film’s themes of technology, AI, and potential human subjectivity dovetail with Musk’s warnings about the dangers posed by untested artificial intelligence.
Musk, a known admirer of Asimov’s work, titled Tesla’s launch event “We, Robot,” in honor of the author. Musk once credited Asimov’s writings with inspiring the creation of SpaceX, his space exploration company, and described the books as “really good.”
Although Proyas’ comments were made in a light-hearted tone, the similarities between Tesla’s new products and the futuristic designs in I, Robot have sparked controversy online. Whether this similarity is intentional or coincidental, it highlights the continuing influence of science fiction on the invention of real-world technology.
Proyas, who also directed The Crow, is no stranger to sci-fi storytelling, but the question remains: do Tesla’s designs match his film, or is it just a slice of life impersonating art?
Jamie Young
Jamie is an on-air business reporter and Senior Business Correspondent, bringing over a decade of experience in UK SME business reporting. Jamie holds a degree in Business Administration and regularly participates in industry conferences and workshops to stay on top of emerging trends. When not reporting on the latest business developments, Jamie is passionate about mentoring journalists and budding entrepreneurs, sharing their wealth of knowledge to inspire the next generation of business leaders.
