Elon Musk Says Tesla's Optimus Can Build Civilization On Any Planet In Future: 'The First Von Neumann Machine'

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says that the Optimus humanoid robot can build civilizations on distant planets in the future.

First Von Neumann Machine

On Monday, user Ryan Dahl took to the social media platform X to share his views on SpaceX announcing the xAI merger, also sharing that the company eventually plans to launch 1TW of AI compute per year. "Is this how von Neumann probes start?"

Responding to Dahl, Musk, on Tuesday, shared that it was possible. "Optimus will be the first Von Neumann machine, capable of building civilization by itself on any viable planet," Musk said.

What Is A Von Neumann Machine?

A von Neumann machine or a von Neumann probe, first touted by Hungarian-American Mathematician and Physicist John von Neumann, is a theoretical spacecraft that is capable of replicating itself by using raw materials it would procure from other planetary systems. The machine would use those materials to create replicas of itself, which would then be sent out to other places in outer space.

By claiming that Optimus could be the first von Neumann machine, Musk could be pointing out that he believes space-based AI computing could reach a point where it could be used to control robots on other planets.

Optimus' Role For Musk's Future Ambitions

Optimus has been touted by Musk as the next big thing on many occasions, with the billionaire also sharing that it could outperform the entire Earth's productivity in the future alongside space-based AI compute.

Musk, on Tesla’s Q4 Earnings call on Wednesday last week, shared bullish sentiments about the humanoid robot. He said that it was a product that would “move the needle on US GDP significantly."

He also pointed out that the discontinuation of Tesla's premium offerings, namely the Model S and Model X, would help the EV giant scale Optimus production in Fremont, targeting 1 million units per year.

Benzinga Edge Rankings show that Tesla scores well on the Momentum metric and offers a favorable price trend in the Long Term.

Price Action: TSLA declined 0.67% to $419.15 during the after-hours trading on Tuesday.

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