Elon Musk Faces Copyright Claim Over 'I, Robot' Designs

Washington: Director Alex Proyas slammed Tesla CEO Elon Musk over the alleged resemblance between his two autonomous vehicles and the robots in the 2004 sci-fi film 'I, Robot'.

This comes after Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the long-awaited prototypes for two new autonomous vehicles: the self-driving robotaxi, dubbed the Cybercab, and the Robovan, ahead of the weekend.

While the sleek, futuristic designs fit Tesla's signature style, many on social media couldn't help but notice a striking resemblance to the robots in the 2004 sci-fi film I, Robot.

The similarity caught the attention of I, Robot director Alex Proyas, who took to X platform to slam the Tesla CEO for allegedly ripping off his creations.

"Hey Elon, Can I have my designs back please?" Proyas wrote.

Hey Elon, Can I have my designs back please? #ElonMusk #Elon_Musk pic.twitter.com/WPgxHevr6E — Alex Proyas (@alex_proyas) October 13, 2024

Set in a futuristic Chicago in 2035, I, Robot explores a world where human-like robots work in public service roles. The film, starring Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, and Alan Tudyk, centres on a detective investigating the suspicious death of a U.S. Robotics founder. The movie's design of sleek, humanoid robots bears a notable resemblance to Tesla's new robotic prototypes.

As per Deadline, Musk on Thursday, unveiled several new robots, including the Optimus, a human-like robot that was revealed to be tele-operated by humans at At Tesla's "We, Robot" event. The highlight of the event was the Cybercab, a futuristic robotaxi with wing-like doors and no steering wheel or pedals. Musk also introduced the Robovan, a self-driving vehicle designed to transport goods or up to 20 people.

Meanwhile, Proyas is preparing to begin filming his new sci-fi satire RUR in Sydney, Australia on October 21.