Tesla workers pushed back on training Optimus to do their jobs

Some Tesla factory workers balked at teaching Optimus how to do their jobs, Ars Technica reported, citing The Information. The company had people in Texas and California wear suits that recorded their movements so the robot could imitate them. Workers complained because they knew the robots were meant, eventually, to replace them.

Tesla has since given that recording to dedicated teams and set up training hubs, rather than asking the regular line to supply the data. The same reporting said Optimus V3 is hard to build: line equipment struggles to place parts precisely, and the line cannot yet be run as fast as Tesla wants.

Production has still climbed into the hundreds of robots a week, with a stated goal past 1,000 a week by the end of 2026. Three sources told The Information the robot cannot yet handle a wide range of tasks reliably. For now it is programmed for specific jobs in tightly controlled areas.