Alex Proyas, the director of the 2004 film “I, Robot,” believes Tesla’s latest designs seem strikingly familiar

Like many Tesla events, their latest showcase attracted significant attention from fans and sparked controversy among skeptics. The “We, Robot” event introduced Tesla’s new Cybercab, a self-driving vehicle aimed at consumers. It also unveiled a 20-passenger vehicle called the Robovan and provided a closer look at the company’s new Optimus robots.
As the internet debates the extent to which the Optimus robots’ demonstration was genuine versus controlled remotely, and questions the proposed timelines for the taxi, more skepticism has arisen regarding the originality of all three products showcased.
Musk’s “We, Robot” event was evidently inspired by the early 2000s film “I, Robot,” which ironically warns of the dangers posed by robots and artificial intelligence. While the event’s title may reference the film, its director, Alex Proyas, has accused Musk of stealing his designs. Proyas took to the Musk-owned platform X to say, “Hey Elon, can I have my designs back, please?”
While it’s true that humanoid robots will inevitably share some similarities, both in reality and in film, we’re particularly focused on the vehicles that appear to closely resemble those from the movie. The self-driving Robovan mimics the unmanned delivery vehicles featured in the film, while the Cybertaxi bears a striking resemblance to the protagonist’s self-driving car.
We’ve already noted the similarities between the Cybercab and Volkswagen’s VW XL1. The hero’s vehicle in I, Robot was also a VW product: the Audi RSQ concept. Designed to envision what cars might look like in 2035, the RSQ featured spherical wheels with covers similar to Tesla’s, along with butterfly doors. However, the similarities are largely superficial, as the RSQ was powered by a 5.0-liter V10 engine, whereas Tesla boasts an all-electric drivetrain.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Proyas wasn’t the only one who felt that Tesla may have drawn inspiration from the film. Matt Granger, who served as an assistant to Proyas on I, Robot, shared a now-deleted post saying, “I too wish to offer my full-fingered ‘f*** you’ to Elon and his utter lack of creativity.”
