Musk Criticizes Media Coverage of Factory Accident
Elon Musk is expressing his dissatisfaction with how the media has portrayed an accident involving robots in one of his factories. Musk took to X to voice his frustration, stating, "Truly shameful of the media to dredge up an injury from two years ago." He also emphasized that the reports wrongly suggested that the accident was caused by his humanoid Optimus robots.
Media Reports of Robot "Attack" Debunked
Elon Musk has strongly criticized recent media reports claiming a robot "attack" in a Tesla factory located in Austin. In a post on X, Musk responded to a user who shared a Daily Mail article about a factory incident in 2021. Musk called the media's actions "truly shameful" and clarified that the injury was caused by a simple industrial Kuka robot arm, which is commonly found in all factories, and not the Optimus robot.
Details of the Incident
The incident, previously covered by The Information, involved an engineer who was performing software updates on the factory's robots. According to witnesses, one of the machines grabbed the engineer and pinned him against a surface, causing him to bleed. The engineer was able to escape when a fellow worker pressed the emergency stop button.
Musk's Defense of Optimus Robots
Elon Musk's defense of the Optimus robots is not surprising, as he has high hopes for their capabilities. During their unveiling, Musk stated that if the Optimus robots could perform manual labor, the economy could achieve a state of "quasi-infinite" abundance. He envisioned a future without poverty, where people could have access to any desired product or service.
Safety Concerns Surrounding Tesla Factories
Tesla's factories have faced ongoing safety complaints. In 2020, California regulators accused Tesla of submitting incomplete injury reports. Similar concerns have also been raised in other countries. Chinese inspectors, for example, expressed their intention to penalize the company due to safety weaknesses, following the death of a Tesla factory worker in Shanghai who was crushed by equipment. Additionally, Tesla faced allegations from a German union and media outlets regarding safety provisions at the Berlin Gigafactory.
Representatives for Tesla and Kuka have not responded to Business Insider's requests for comment at this time.
Original article: Business Insider
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By: ktan@businessinsider.com (Kwan Wei Kevin Tan)
Title: Elon Musk Slams Media Reports of Robot ‘Attack’ in Tesla’s Texas Factory
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-slams-media-reports-robot-attack-in-tesla-factory-2023-12
Published Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2023 05:08:31 +0000
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