Elon Musk is increasingly framing humanoid robots as a central pillar of Tesla's future, arguing they could unlock a new wave of economic growth far beyond the company's electric vehicle business.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Musk said Tesla's Optimus robots are already handling basic tasks inside its factories, with plans to expand their capabilities significantly over the next two years. He suggested that, if development stays on track, Tesla could begin selling humanoid robots to the public by the end of next year.
Musk has linked Optimus closely to Tesla's self driving efforts, saying much of the artificial intelligence built for autonomous vehicles will also power its robots. Over time, he believes humanoid machines could become widespread enough to outnumber humans, performing work across industries and reshaping productivity.
Inside Tesla's operations, the robots are currently limited to simple, repetitive jobs. Musk said more advanced functions should arrive by the end of 2026, as the company continues to push itself as not just an automaker but a broader AI and robotics player. That shift comes as Tesla's core EV business faces intensifying competition and slowing growth in key markets.
Industry specialists caution that turning humanoid robots into practical, large scale tools remains a daunting challenge. Training systems to operate reliably in unpredictable real world environments require massive amounts of data, much of which does not yet exist. Beyond the technical hurdles, adoption may also depend on how willing human workers and organizations are to share space and jobs with machines designed to look and move like them.
While technical and social hurdles remain, Musk's comments signal Tesla's intent to push Optimus from experimental use toward commercial reality within the next few years.
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May 22, 2026 14:46 ET Minutes of the latest Fed policy session was the highlight of the week along with survey data on the U.S. housing market. In Europe, survey data signaled the trends in the euro area private sector. Further, consumer price inflation data from the U.K. was in focus. In Asia, various economic indicators from China drew attention to the health of the economy.