--- title: "Director of “I, Robot” Accuses Elon Musk of Ripping Him Off" description: "The creative mind behind \"I, Robot\" has noticed the resemblance between his film and Elon Musk's Tesla prototypes." date: "2024-10-15" modified: "2024-10-15" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/i-robot-director-tesla-designs" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "cybercab" - "optimus" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Director of “I, Robot” Accuses Elon Musk of Ripping Him Off ![The creative mind behind "I, Robot" has noticed the resemblance between his film and Elon Musk's Tesla prototypes.]() *\Image: 20th Century Fox\* ## Prototypical Elon The creative mind behind the 20-year-old Will Smith blockbuster "[I, Robot]()" has noticed a striking resemblance between his film and Elon Musk's Tesla prototypes — and he's none too pleased. "Hey Elon," [tweeted Australian director]() Alex Proyas, "Can I have my designs back please?" In the post's image attachment, stills from the film were posted next to mockups of forthcoming Tesla products. While the company's bartending Optimus robots — which, as we learned were actually [remote-controlled by humans]() — aren't exact replicas for the flick's uncannily-faced versions, its "Cybercab" and "Robotaxis" definitely bear striking resemblances to the film's designs. Though there hasn't been any admission about the similarities, there's little chance they weren't intentional given that the event at which the new mockups were unveiled last week was literally named "[We, Robot]()," leaving little room for plausible deniability. This tongue-in-cheek nod has Musk written all over it — and is not, of course, the first time he's been [accused of ripping someone else off](), either. https://www.twitter.com/alex_proyas/status/1845426067043123632 ## Total Facepalm Years prior to Cybertrucks actually being shipped out, [people online have pointed out]() that *that* vehicle's design also bears a striking resemblance to a similarly geometric film car: the equally stainless steeled, two-doored cars from Paul Verhoeven's 1990 sci-fi movie "Total Recall." For those who haven't seen it, the [early 90s masterpiece]() also involves a built-out Mars colony, making it unlikely that the [Mars-obsessed billionaire]() didn't intentionally make at least some visual nods to the movie's designs. https://www.twitter.com/hjwp/status/1197886317021007873 Ironically enough, there was a "total recall" event of all Cybertrucks on the road in April 2024 due to an accelerator pedal issue that [required all 3,878 of them]() to be called in. In short, while Musk in avid ([if not ignorant]()) [sci-fan fan](), products from [his companies]() are often [inspired by speculative fiction]() — or [ripped off](), depending on your definition. **More on Tesla:** [*Tesla's Disappointing Robotaxi Event Sent Shares of Uber and Lyft Soaring*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()