Tesla is redirecting workers and engineers towards its Optimus humanoid robot as Elon Musk presents robotics and AI as central to the company’s future. However, employees have reportedly resisted training robots they believe may eventually replace them, while technical and manufacturing difficulties are slowing Tesla’s effort to scale production.

Optimus V3 is being produced in the hundreds per week, but Tesla aims to exceed 1,000 robots weekly by the end of 2026. The robot’s hands contain more than 100 small components and have unreliable touch sensors, while current systems reportedly need task-specific programming in controlled settings; Tesla has also relied on workers wearing motion-recording suits to generate training data and continues to use Chinese suppliers for some components.