Musk: Tesla plans to publicly sell the Optimus robot next year; by the end of this year, AI may surpass human intelligence.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk outlined an ambitious blueprint encompassing humanoid robots, autonomous driving, space exploration, and artificial intelligence (AI) at the Davos World Economic Forum. He predicted that AI could surpass human intelligence as early as the end of this year, and Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus could be available for public sale as soon as the end of next year. On Thursday, January 22 local time, Musk appeared at the Davos Forum and had a conversation with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. He revealed that Tesla has already deployed some Optimus robots in its factories for simple tasks and expects that by the end of this year these robots will be able to handle more complex tasks. Musk stated that if Tesla is confident in the robots' reliability, safety, and functional range, public sales will begin by the end of next year. During the conversation, Musk also said that Tesla’s autonomous taxi service, Robotaxi, is expected to be deployed on a large scale in the U.S. this year, and has already begun offering Robotaxi services without onboard safety supervisors in Austin, Texas. SpaceX hopes to achieve full reusability of its Starship rocket this year. He predicted that by the end of this year, or at the latest next year, AI will become “smarter than any human.” As Musk spoke, Tesla’s stock price continued to rise. By Thursday midday, intraday gains had expanded to over 3%, putting the stock on track for two consecutive days of increases and erasing losses from the past week. Tesla’s core automotive business has seen delivery declines for two consecutive years due to an outdated product line and the cancellation of U.S. EV subsidies. Musk sees the autonomous, AI, and robotics business directions mentioned this time as key priorities for Tesla. In early September last year, Musk said that about 80% of Tesla’s value would come from the Optimus robot project, which he first proposed four years ago. Optimus Robot Timeline Clarified Musk provided more specific details on the commercialization timeline for the Optimus humanoid robot. He said public sales will begin once Tesla is certain the robot has "extremely high reliability, safety, and functional range," at which point users can "essentially ask it to do almost anything you want." Tesla is already using some Optimus robots in its factories for basic tasks. Musk predicts that by the end of 2026, these robots will be able to “perform more complex tasks.” Although Musk often discusses Optimus’ potential, he’s previously been vague about production timelines and goals. On the January 2025 earnings call, he said a “very rough guess” is that Tesla will begin delivering Optimus to other companies in the second half of 2026. Earlier this week, Musk also reminded that initial production of both Optimus and Tesla’s new model Cybercab will be “extremely slow.” Musk has previously predicted that humanoid robots will eventually outnumber humans, with billions deployed not only in factories but also in homes to assist with tasks ranging from washing dishes to caring for children. Autonomous Driving and Space Exploration Progress In the field of autonomous driving, Musk declared that this is "essentially a solved problem." He said Tesla’s full self-driving software is sometimes updated weekly, and some insurance companies, due to its safety record, offer half-price insurance to customers using the technology. Tesla has launched robotaxi services in several cities and expects large-scale deployment in the U.S. by the end of this year, with supervised full self-driving approval possibly coming to Europe next month. In terms of space exploration, Musk said SpaceX hopes to achieve full rocket reusability with Starship this year. He described Starship as "the largest flying vehicle ever," and said this breakthrough would reduce the cost of entering space by 100 times, to less than $100 per pound. SpaceX has demonstrated booster recovery on the launch pad but has yet to attempt reusing the Starship spacecraft. Musk also discussed plans to launch solar-powered AI satellites within the next few years. He noted that solar panels in space are five times as efficient as those on Earth due to constant sunlight and no atmospheric interference. He predicted that “the cheapest place to deploy AI will be in space,” which could be achieved in two to three years. AI Development and Energy Infrastructure Predictions Musk made bold predictions about AI development, saying it could become “smarter than any human” by the end of this year or “at the latest, next year.” This highlights his belief in the rapid advancement of AI technology. On energy production, Musk said a 100-square-mile solar panel area could power the entire United States. He revealed that teams at SpaceX and Tesla are working separately to establish annual solar manufacturing capacity of 100 gigawatts in the U.S. within about three years. Musk’s appearance at Davos was unexpected, as he had previously criticized the forum as “boring” and denounced the World Economic Forum for “increasingly becoming an unelected world government that people never asked for and don’t want.” In 2022, he posted on social media: “What’s up with the World Economic Forum/Davos? Are they trying to be the boss of Earth?” In the conversation, Musk stated his overall goal for his companies is to maximize the possibility that “civilization will have a great future,” and to “extend consciousness beyond Earth.” Risk warning and disclaimer The market has risks, and investments should be made cautiously. This article does not constitute personal investment advice, nor does it consider the individual investment objectives, financial status, or needs of any user. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions contained herein are suitable to their specific circumstances. If you invest based on this information, you do so at your own risk.