Tesla AI boss reveals how big Optimus is going to get

teslarati.com Jul 31, 2026

Tesla AI boss reveals how big Optimus is going to get

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Jul 31, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s head of the Optimus program, clarified on X that the company’s long-term annual production capacity for its humanoid robots will reach 10 million units. This figure specifically refers to the second production line currently under construction at Gigafactory Texas, which broke ground in May and aims for volume production by 2027. The announcement reinforces Elon Musk’s previous statements from the 2025 shareholder meeting. This massive scale exceeds the annual new car sales of most countries. The buildout involves two phases: a one million unit per year line at the Fremont factory, utilizing space freed by ending Model S and Model X production, and the larger Texas facility. Elluswamy took over the program from Milan Kovac in June 2025. Musk previously estimated per-unit costs between $20,000 and $25,000 at one million units annually, though costs at ten million units remain unspecified. The decision to retire flagship vehicles for robot production marks a significant shift in Tesla’s manufacturing strategy.

💡 Why It Matters

· Retiring the Model S and Model X to prioritize unproven robotics represents a radical pivot from automotive heritage to speculative manufacturing.
· This move signals that Tesla views humanoid labor as its primary future revenue engine, potentially outweighing its legacy vehicle business.

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The Rise of Chinese Robots: Affordable Excellence

China’s Unitree Robotics sent eight G1 humanoid robots to perform alongside dancer Wu Yufei on the premiere of America’s Got Talent. The three‑minute routine featured synchronized backflips, precise landings and fluid choreography that earned unanimous approval from the judges, including an impressed Simon Cowell, and guaranteed the act a place in the next round. Clips of the performance quickly went viral on overseas platforms, prompting astonishment at the robots’ agility and sub‑$10,000 price tags. Chinese robot exports reached 11.32 billion yuan ($1.67 billion) in Q1 2026, reaching 148 countries, with about 13,000 humanoid units shipped in 2025, the majority from China. Analysts attribute the affordability and capability to China’s “full‑spectrum” industrial ecosystem that integrates raw materials, components and assembly under one supply chain.

💡 The act proves that high‑performance robotics can be mass‑marketed at consumer‑grade prices, reshaping expectations for both entertainment and industrial adoption worldwide.

en.sedaily.com · Aug 1

Naver Aims to Become ‘Android of Robots’ With No-Code Platform

Naver has developed ARCBRAIN Flow, a no-code and low-code platform enabling non-developers to design customized robot services. The solution, trademarked by Naver Labs Europe, integrates with the company’s existing ARC Brain control system to allow easy configuration of functions like navigation routes and notifications. This development addresses previous limitations where robot services required complex redesigns for environments outside Naver’s specialized headquarters. By simplifying service creation, Naver aims to expand its robot operating system ecosystem, positioning itself as the "Android of robots." The company seeks to ensure its software underpins various hardware as physical AI commercializes. CEO Choi Soo-yeon previously highlighted Naver’s world-class robot software capabilities. The platform builds on a decade of research, including ARC Eye positioning and ARC Mind OS, demonstrating autonomous delivery services at Naver’s Seongnam campus.

💡 By removing coding barriers, Naver accelerates the mass adoption of physical AI across diverse, non-specialized environments. This strategic pivot transforms robot deployment from a niche engineering task into a scalable business utility.

techtimes.com · Aug 1

Unitree IPO Subscription Opens: Profitable Robot Maker vs. $39B No-Revenue Figure AI

Unitree Robotics, Hangzhou-based manufacturer of humanoid robots, has set subscription dates for its Shanghai STAR Market IPO, marking the sector’s first publicly traded, profitable competitor. Book-building opens August 5, with public subscription on August 10. The company enters markets with a base valuation of ¥42 billion ($6.22 billion) and secondary expectations above ¥100 billion ($14.82 billion). Unitree reports revenue of ¥1.708 billion ($253 million) and an adjusted net profit of ¥600 million ($89 million). This listing challenges Figure AI’s $39 billion private valuation, which relies on near-zero disclosed revenue. Unitree received final regulatory approval on July 2, 2026, completing the fastest full-cycle review in STAR Market history at 104 days. The rapid approval signals state endorsement of "embodied intelligence," a priority in China’s 2025 Government Work Report and 15th Five-Year Plan, which mandates 10,000 humanoid robots in operational roles by December 31, 2026. Goldman Sachs projects the global market will reach $38 billion by 2035.

💡 Unitree’s profitable public listing provides the first objective market benchmark for humanoid robotics, directly challenging the speculative valuations of private peers like Figure AI. This transition from closed negotiations to daily public trading forces the industry to align its worth with actual revenue and operational scale rather than future potential.

en.sedaily.com · Aug 1

Two Days After US Curbs, China’s Unitree Confirms IPO Next Month

Chinese robotics firm Unitree has confirmed its initial public offering on Shanghai’s STAR Market, with investor subscriptions beginning on the 10th and listing expected around the 19th. The company plans to issue 40.446 million new shares, raising approximately 4.2 billion yuan for AI research and production expansion. This move positions Unitree as the first humanoid robot maker to enter the mainland Chinese stock market, projecting a corporate value near 42 billion yuan. The announcement comes just two days after the US Federal Communications Commission banned imports of certain robots, a measure widely viewed as targeting Chinese manufacturers. Despite the ban, Unitree’s reliance on the US market has decreased to 13.3%, down from previous years, as the firm diversifies into Europe and Southeast Asia. Last year, Unitree reported revenue of 1.71 billion yuan and a net profit of 287.6 million yuan, demonstrating strong financial performance ahead of its public debut.

💡 The IPO timing defies US trade restrictions, proving Chinese tech firms can pivot supply chains and markets to maintain growth. It validates a business model that prioritizes global diversification over dependence on any single geopolitical bloc.

pcgamer.com · Aug 1

We’ve seen a lot of malfunctioning robots this year, but this is…

Christopher Livingston’s monthly robotics column, Clanker Watch, highlights July’s most notable robot malfunctions and innovations. The standout incident occurred at Computex, where a Neura Robotics 4NE1 humanoid robot collapsed during a Qualcomm presentation. After delivering an IQ10 processor, the unit twitched and fell face-first, requiring staff to cover it with a tablecloth. Livingston notes the irony of needing human intervention to manage robot failures, questioning their labor-saving potential. Other July sightings included robots punching walls, falling apart, and one being expelled from a high school. Additionally, engineers developed a puffin-inspired drone capable of flying and swimming, designed for bird monitoring but raising privacy concerns due to its ability to pursue targets underwater. These events underscore the current unreliability of autonomous systems and the expanding, sometimes intrusive, capabilities of modern robotics in both commercial and surveillance contexts.

💡 The 4NE1 collapse exposes the gap between polished corporate demos and the fragile reality of current humanoid technology. Meanwhile, the amphibious drone reveals how surveillance capabilities are evolving to eliminate physical escape routes for privacy.

therobotreport.com · Aug 1

FCC robot ruling shines a spotlight on U.S. policy; how next-gen AI…

Episode 255 of The Robot Report Podcast features Derik Pridmore, co-founder and CEO of OSARO, discussing the evolution of warehouse robotics. Pridmore explains the shift from limited perception systems to adaptable AI-driven automation, emphasizing hardware-agnostic design, continuous learning, and real-world monitoring over flashy demonstrations. He argues that significant breakthroughs in robotics depend on balancing specificity, reliability, and safety. Pridmore co-founded OSARO in 2015 to provide integrated perception and control software for industrial-scale robotic deployment. With over a decade of investment experience, including roles at Founders Fund and Arda Capital Management, Pridmore has invested in companies like DeepMind and Clarifai. The episode also covers expert reactions to recent FCC limits on U.S. imports of new humanoid and mobile robots, highlighting the growing intersection of regulatory policy and technological advancement in the industrial automation sector.

💡 The FCC’s import restrictions on humanoid and mobile robots force companies to prioritize domestic software reliability over hardware novelty. This regulatory shift accelerates the adoption of adaptable AI systems that can operate effectively within constrained supply chains.