Tesla workers balk at training Optimus humanoid robots as replacements

Tesla is encountering significant internal resistance as it pivots its manufacturing focus from electric vehicles to the Optimus humanoid robot. According to recent reports, employees at the Fremont factory are increasingly frustrated by the requirement to train the very machines intended to replace their roles. The company has ceased production of the Model S and Model X to reallocate labor and engineering resources toward the robotics project. While CEO Elon Musk has touted Optimus as a transformative product for the company's future, the transition is proving difficult. Challenges include the technical complexity of the robot's hands and a demoralized workforce tasked with accelerating their own obsolescence. As Tesla attempts to scale mass production, the internal friction highlights the human cost of the company's aggressive shift toward general-purpose AI and automation, complicating Musk's ambitious timeline for the project's market debut.