The director of the 2004 sci-fi film I, Robot, Alex Proyas, has accused billionaire Elon Musk of copying his designs for humanoid machines and self-driving vehicles. Musk recently unveiled Tesla’s futuristic Cybercab and Optimus robots at a Tesla event, which caught the eye of Proyas.
In a post on social media, Proyas called out Musk, saying, “Hey Elon, can I have my designs back please.” He claimed that he and his talented design team had worked hard to create the visuals for I, Robot, and accused Musk of having a less talented design team who seemed to have drawn inspiration from the film.
The film’s production designer, Patrick Tatopoulos, also reposted images comparing the designs from I, Robot to those showcased at Tesla’s event, sparking a debate online about the originality of both works.
While some have questioned Proyas’ claims, pointing out similarities to other sci-fi films like Metropolis, it is not uncommon for tech companies to draw inspiration from science fiction when developing new technologies. Musk himself has cited influences from works like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Bladerunner in the design of Tesla’s products.
This latest controversy highlights the ongoing debate about the relationship between science fiction and technology, and the fine line between inspiration and imitation in the world of innovation.
