“I, Robot ”director Alex Proyas calls out Elon Musk for Tesla Bot, Robovan: 'Can I have my designs back please?'

The products unveiled at Tesla's "We, Robot" event are eerily reminiscent of those featured in the 2004 dystopian sci-fi film.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is facing a wave of backlash after unveiling a series of robotic prototypes that are eerily reminiscent of a certain dystopian sci-fi movie .

On Thursday, Musk helmed an event at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif., where the company offered a glimpse at three upcoming products: their much-anticipated self-driving robotaxi (Cybercab), their autonomous Robovan, and Optimus, an autonomous general-purpose robotic humanoid.

On social media — including Musk’s own platform, X — users were quick to point out that all three creations offer a striking parallel to those showcased in the 2004 Will Smith-led sci-fi film, I, Robot. As it turns out, the uncanny resemblance certainty didn’t go unnoticed by Alex Proyas, the Australian filmmaker who helmed I, Robot.

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Taking to X (formerly Twitter) with side-by-side comparisons of tech from the movie and Tesla’s latest rollout, Proyas wrote, “Hey Elon, Can I have my designs back please?”

While Musk did not respond, the event itself made clear reference to the film, operating under the name, “We, Robot.”

Set in Chicago in 2035, the Oscar-nominated blockbuster delves into the horrors of a world that sees human-like androids filling public service positions. Smith stars as Detective Del Spooner, who is tasked with investigating a confusing murder that may or may not involve autonomous police force bot, Sonny (Alan Tudyk).

However, such an act should be impossible, as the robots in this world are governed by the “three laws of robotics,” coined by Isaac Asimov in the very story collection that serves as the basis for the sci-fi film. The laws state that a robot may not injure a human being; a robot must obey the orders given by humans unless it conflicts with the first law; and a robot must protect itself if it doesn’t conflict with the first or second law.

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In the case of Musk’s Optimus bot, it was later revealed that the machines — named for the heroic Transformers character — are not yet autonomous, and were being remotely operated when they impressed attendees by mingling with the crowd, flashing peace signs, pouring drinks, and playing rock-paper-scissors.

As for the other two products, they arrived to mixed reception from X users who alternated between mocking the design — comparing the Robovan to toasters or a computer mouse — while others praised Musk for bringing "sci-fi to our streets." Though the event was much-hyped and gained traction on social media, it led to a significant stock drop of 9 percent for Tesla.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.