Tesla's humanoid robot Optimus faces suspicions of being remotely controlled by a human after it appears to take off its headset and then falls
Tesla's humanoid robot, Optimus, has recently taken a very suspicious tumble, raising suspicions that it may be remotely controlled by a human. Optimus has been subject to remote control allegations in the past.
Tesla Optimus robot takes a suspicious tumble in new demo | Electrek
Optimus, a humanoid robot being developed by Tesla, will have a prototype unveiled in October 2022, with the second-generation model to be announced in December 2023.
Tesla announces the second generation of its humanoid robot 'Optimus,' and also releases a movie showing its performance, including 'walking 30% faster than the first generation,' 'super smooth finger movements,' and 'dancing' - GIGAZINE
Tesla has previously showcased Optimus at various events, showcasing its capabilities by releasing a video of it skillfully folding a T-shirt , but suspicions have been raised that Optimus was being remotely controlled when it served drinks to attendees.
Tesla's robotic robot Optimus, unveiled at its robot taxi launch event, is suspected of being remotely controlled - GIGAZINE
Meanwhile, Tesla demonstrated its autopilot technology and Optimus at an event called 'Autonomy Visualized' held in Miami on the first weekend of December 2025.
At the event, Optimus was handing out bottles of water to attendees, and one scene in the video has become a hot topic, with people saying it looked as if a human was remotely controlling Optimus.
Below is the video in question:
Optimus is handing out bottles of water in a corner of the event venue. There's nothing special around him, and he's not under strict staff supervision, so it's honestly a pretty plain scene.
As the person filming the video approaches, Optimus quickly reaches for a bottle of water on the table.
However, he failed and knocked over the water bottle on the table, and also, by moving too quickly, he knocked over other bottles besides the one he was trying to pick up.
Optimus raises both hands near his head, lamenting his mistake and assuming a 'damn it' pose. It's a very human-like reaction. However, technology media Electrek points out that 'it's more like he's reaching his hands over his head to remove something.'
Then, as if suddenly disconnected, he fell backwards while still upright.
Regarding this strange fall, Electrek pointed out, 'Anyone who has used VR or seen a remote control setup will immediately understand. It appears that a human operator, likely behind the scenes or in a remote location, was operating the robot and, for unknown reasons, removed the headset.'
In fact, Tesla is using VR headsets to train Optimus to accurately replicate human movements.
Electrek cited a blooper reel released by Boston Dynamics, a robotics company like Tesla, and pointed out that 'Boston Dynamics' blooper reel did not damage the company's credibility.' Internet users have commented , 'Does Elon Musk's $20,000 (approximately 3.1 million yen) Optimus include the necessary remote control and equipment? Or is there an additional charge?'
Farewell to HD Atlas - YouTube
In response to allegations that Optimus is remotely controlled, Musk said, 'It's not remotely controlled, it's AI.'
AI, not tele-operated
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 4, 2025
Musk has repeatedly touted Optimus to Tesla shareholders as being its biggest product yet, with millions soon rolling off the production lines. Electrek responded, 'If we're still relying on one-on-one remote control to deliver a bottle of water, then we're still a long way from a fully functional humanoid robot.'
Related Posts:
