Tesla plans to start training Optimus at its Austin factory (www.businessinsider.com)

Tesla has announced plans to begin training its humanoid robot, Optimus, at its Austin Gigafactory, moving operations from its Fremont facility where training has taken place for over a year. The company's goal is to collect data on how to program Optimus to perform tasks specific to the Texas facility, with a targeted start date in February. CEO Elon Musk indicated that while Optimus is currently engaged in "simple tasks" within the factory, the aim is for the robot to handle more complex functions by the end of the year and potentially be sold to the public by next year. This development is significant for the AI/ML community as it marks a step toward the practical deployment of humanoid robots in industrial settings, which could transform operations across various sectors. The training strategy has evolved from teleoperation to using video data collection, allowing for faster and more efficient programming of the robots. Insiders also noted that Tesla's factory workers, who possess valuable expertise, will play a crucial role in training Optimus, highlighting the intersection of human and machine labor in future production environments. As Tesla continues to develop and refine Optimus’s capabilities, the implications for automation and AI integration in daily tasks become increasingly profound.