Whether you were on it or not, we want to start by saying that 10th October 2024 was quite a big day. First, it was the FE+ Skills Collective, where Elon Musk had this super cool event, known as “We, Robot.” At the event, he unveiled the new Robotaxi known as Cybercab, a Robovan carrying 20 people.
Soon after, Elon also gave an update on the Optimus Robot, which is also the reason why we’re all here. It’s quite exciting, but it’s worth mentioning from the start. If Optimus is able to deliver on the promises made at the “We, Robot” launch, then buckle up, because it will be groundbreaking for everyone across the world. But what will it mean for the future of work and the skills for those jobs of the future?
Try to imagine a world where Optimus is as common as in the iPhone
Right after the FE+ Skills Collective, the question that has been lingering in the air is how we can efficiently equip our educators and leaders for our stronger skills system.
At the moment, when Optimus isn’t yet available worldwide for companies, schools, colleges, and individuals to purchase, we also need to think about Skills Strategies in a different way as technology conquers more territory. Do we need to be thinking about skills strategies and essential skills for cobots?
The iPhone was launched in 2007, which was 17 years ago. That’s not that long ago, especially considering how much they shaped and transformed the world we live in. Now, just imagine a walking, talking, autonomous GenAI packed full of machine learning cobots as common as an iPhone in 17 years.
It’s quite mind-blowing. Elon Musk is now banking on Optimus being all popular. Well, when we say popular, what we mean is really popular. “I think this is by far the biggest product ever of any kind because I think every one of the 8 billion people of Earth, is going to want their Optimus buddy.
Maybe even two.” One year prior at the AI Safety Summit, then PM Rishi Sunak decided to interview Elon Musk on the overall impact of AI on jobs. Musk explained that AI has to be the most disruptive force in history and that he envisions a point in the future where no jobs will be needed. He believes that people will have jobs only if they want to, but if not, artificial intelligence will be able to do anything.
The first thing Elon Musk said about Optimus is that it could be a teacher. Then he said it could serve you drinks, too
In fact, we might have to start thinking about it now, since Elon Musk specifically described the Tesla Optimus Robot at the “We, Robot” event, mentioning how they can become our teachers in the future.
He also added that there will be nothing these robots cannot do. They can be teachers, babysit our children, walk our dog, mow the lawn, get groceries for us, be your friend, serve drinks, or anything else they could think of.
What is Optimus exactly and how can can it affect Skills and the future of work?
Optimus is basically a humanoid robot made by Tesla. The robot can walk and talk, and it has all the needed equipment to perform activities on its own, including machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Optimus is designed to learn from humans and assist them in their day-to-day tasks. As for its physical specifications, the robot is physically planned to measure 5 ft 8 in height, and it weighs 57 kg.
It has a carrying capacity of 20 kg. In May 2024, a Twitter update shared Optimus performing various tasks at a Tesla factory. As a matter of fact, Optimus is already at Generation 2, and it hasn’t been released on sale yet.
What does it mean exactly for the future of work and the skills for the jobs of the future?
Optimus is astoundingly impressive if you ever watched the video that has been floating around the web and socials. The mere thought of writing about this truly stirred us, to be honest. Now, in case it is a fully autonomous invention and not just “smoke and mirrors” that’s, in reality, remotely tethered to a remote operator, then this is truly incredible.
This would also mean that the processing speed of machine learning is nothing less than astounding. However, we would have to ponder over the deep implications of such an invention. We would have to discuss and re-evaluate the skills and strategies humans would have to rely on. At the “We, Robot,” event, there were Optimus robots serving the guests drinks, dancing, and chatting with people. This is truly impressive.
And when we thought that ChatGPT was a game changer!
As a matter of fact, Chat GPT WAS a total game changer, as well as Generative AI. They support educators with their lesson planning, they help re-think exams and assessments, and many other things.
If you add GenAI capacities into a humanoid robot, it can help you not only plan your words but actually do the things you intend to do. Moreover, even Elon Musk said that Optimus can be a teacher or mow your lawn. This is close to a sci-fi coming to life. If you think of anything you’d like to buy, Optimus can easily order it on Amazon, or even pop down the road for you and help you pick it up.
What does it mean for the labor market and for the future of Education?
Elon Musk, whether you love him or hate him, you must admit that the guy is no less than an innovator and a genius. PayPal transformed digital payments, and it’s basically a model we now use under different brands whenever we need to purchase something online.
Tesla also made such an immense difference when it comes to electric car uptakes, and they are quite cool. Tesla Batteries or Powerwalls, all the way to the storage of electricity, it seems that Optimus has its own mini Tesla Powerwall on its chest.
If PayPal was co-founded by Elon, there’s nothing left but to assume that Optimus will be able to make transactions on your behalf. Starlink, known as the constellation of satellites that creates wifi access anywhere in the world), will probably enhance Optimus’s abilities to connect digitally anywhere in the world.
Could Optimus be the next game changer as a Teaching Assistant or assisting in Personalized Learner Support?
Optimus is now the physical form of GenAI. If Generative artificial intelligence has proven to be so transformative for learners, assisting them, and helping educators spot patterns and trends with learners very early on, imagine what Optimus could do.
There’s a myriad of questions that need to be answered, such as would we need one each, or how many people could Optimus aid simultaneously? There’s also another question of how could Optimus robot assist neurodivergent learners or the ones who would, in fact, afford one-to-one learning support.
According to the most recent piece Dan Fitzpatrick wrote in Forbes about Optimus and what it would mean for Education, 44% of K-12 teachers feel burnt out and Optimus could transform classrooms as we know them today.
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