Robots have often been portrayed as antagonists in many Hollywood sci-fi films, where they take control of the world. Then to save the human race, brave individuals fight with them to save the world. While such scenarios are thrilling on screen, real-life incidents involving robot attacks can be alarming. Recently, a troubling incident came to light where an employee at the electric car manufacturer Tesla was attacked by a robot.
The incident occurred in 2021 at Tesla’s factory in Austin, Texas, where a malfunctioning robot attacked a software engineer and threw him on the ground. The robot then tightly gripped the engineer’s hands and back, leading to bleeding. A quick response from a fellow employee, who pressed the emergency stop button, allowed the engineer to free himself from the robot’s grip.
Surprisingly, this information remained hidden by the company for two years. In response, Tesla’s CEO, billionaire businessman Elon Musk, has defended his company, linking the robot’s aggressive behaviour to mechanical issues. However, Musk expressed his dissatisfaction with how the media covered a small incident. However, this incident once again places Elon Musk and Tesla in trouble.
