'Hey Elon, can I have my designs back?’: Director accuses Musk of stealing ideas for new Tesla products from his movie

A filmmaker is accusing Elon Musk of ripping off ideas from his 2004 movie, claiming striking similarities between the film's concepts and Tesla's latest products. However, the internet's response has been largely skeptical.

What did the filmmaker claim?

Australian-Egyptian director Alex Proyas has accused Elon Musk of borrowing ideas from his 2004 movie I, Robot.?

In a post on X, he shared side-by-side images comparing scenes from the film with the three Tesla products unveiled at the recent "We Robot" event: Optimus, Robovan, and Robotaxi.

Set in a futuristic 2035 Chicago, I, Robot imagines a world where intelligent robots serve in public roles.?

The Tesla Optimus bears a resemblance to Sonny, the movie's robot protagonist. The Robotaxi has similarities to the Audi RSQ, a concept car with distinctive butterfly doors featured in the film. Likewise, the Robovan mirrors the design of the USR Robot Transport, a sleek cargo truck used to carry robots in the movie.

How did people respond?

Proyas's claim ended up backfiring, as reactions were mixed.?

Some people actually praised Musk for turning Proyas's vision into reality, while others criticised the filmmaker, pointing out that his designs weren't particularly original in the first place.

One user quipped, "So you designed the human form and the basic shape of buses and cars?"?

Another commented, "You know someone is now going to go and find pictures that predate yours, and claim you stole from them?" which actually happened. Take a look below:

However, one user remarked, "Elon's stuff is mostly off-the-shelf technology; he just has the money to make it happen. To my knowledge, he doesn't invent anything—it's the people around him who do."

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