Tesla recently unveiled the latest versions of its robotic innovations at its Cybercab Robotaxi event held at the Warner Bros. lot at Burbank, California, showcasing the Tesla Bot, called Optimus, alongside a Robovan.

Yet while the presentation initially ignited excitement online, the buzz quickly shifted to criticism as social media users began comparing the designs to those from a 2004 sci-fi film, “I, Robot,” which starred Will Smith.

The event was aptly named “We, Robot,” a nod to Isaac Asimov’s 1950 short-story collection, which inspired the film. Despite the acknowledgment of shared ideas, many on social media pointed out the striking similarities between Tesla’s robotic concepts and those depicted in director Alex Proyas’s futuristic film set in 2035 Chicago.

Optimus, Tesla’s upcoming general-purpose humanoid robot, shares notable resemblances with the NS5 robots featured in “I, Robot.” However, much of the social media backlash centered on the Robovan, a self-driving vehicle resembling the film’s delivery robot van, and the Robotaxi, akin to the movie’s Audi RSQ self-driving car. These parallels sparked widespread ridicule and prompted a public response from Mr. Proyas himself.

He took to social media, posting on Mr. Musk’s X platform: “Hey Elon, can I have my designs back please?”

Filmmaker Matt Granger, who worked as an assistant to Mr. Proyas on “I, Robot” posted, “I too wish to offer my full-fingered ‘f— you’ to Elon and his utter lack of creativity.”