Elon Musk says Tesla's Optimus lab looks like something out of 'Westworld'

• Elon Musk told Tesla investors the Optimus robot lab looks like something out HBO's "Westworld."
• The Tesla CEO said there's a "good chance" some Optimus robots will be delivered next year.

Elon Musk said Tesla's humanoid robot lab looks like something out of the HBO drama "Westworld."

The Tesla CEO made the comments on an earnings call last week and told investors he's invited the show's creators to come for a tour.

However, Tesla exec Drew Baglino followed up Musk's comments by saying "Westworld" was "not the best reference" point because robots kill people in the show.

Musk posted a video on X earlier this month showing Optimus in one of the first glimpses of the lab. Several other robots at various stages of production can also be seen dangling in the air.

Another video posted by Tesla on YouTube last year shows a motor design engineer working on one robot in a warehouse-like space that has storage shelves for tools.

The caption says the Optimus lab team is made up of "roboticists" including engineers, technicians, actuator designers and robot design modelers.

While little detail is known about the Optimus lab, Tesla was hiring for more than 50 robotics roles last year and many of the jobs were based in Palo Alto, California, its careers page showed.

Musk also told investors on the earnings call there's a "good chance" the company would start shipping some units of Optimus next year.

"When there's a lot of uncertainty and you're in uncharted territory, it's obviously impossible to make a precise prediction. We will be updating the public with progress on Optimus every few months," he said.

Investors might be looking for some good news from Tesla given its shares have sunk by 26% in 2024 — although they are still up 780% over the past five years.

Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.