Tesla workers balk at training Optimus humanoid robots as replacements

Tesla workers refused to train Optimus humanoids they believed would replace them, so Tesla moved data collection to dedicated teams.

Tesla's Optimus humanoids still need post-production fixes, and unreliable hand sensors led the company to add a replaceable glove-like sensor layer. Sources told The Information the robots cannot yet do general-purpose work and must be programmed for specific tasks in controlled environments. Factory workers in Texas and California objected to wearing motion-capture suits for imitation learning because they expected the robots to replace them, so Tesla moved that work to dedicated teams and training hubs. The report also cites continued Chinese component supply, a July FCC ban on new foreign-made robots, and humanoid programs from Toyota, Hyundai with Boston Dynamics' Atlas, and Agility Robotics.