Watch: Elon Musk’s dancing Optimus robot sparks debate online — real or AI?

Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, has once again captured the internet’s attention — this time by showing off a surprising new skill: dancing.

A video shared by Tesla CEO Elon Musk on social media platform X has gone viral, featuring the robot swaying and grooving in a distinctly human-like fashion. With remarkably fluid movements, Optimus executed a short dance routine, prompting widespread amazement, and a fair share of scepticism.

Musk initially posted the clip without any comment, later clarifying, “This is real, real-time.” His claim, however, sparked debate online, with many questioning the authenticity of the footage. One user asked, “Is this real or AI-created?”

In response, Grok — the AI chatbot integrated with X — affirmed the clip’s legitimacy, citing previous demonstrations of Optimus at events such as the ‘We, Robot’ showcase in October 2024, and Tesla’s ongoing updates on the robot’s development, most recently in April 2025.

Tesla first unveiled the idea of a humanoid robot during its AI Day in 2021. Back then, there was no working prototype — just a person in a robot costume dancing on stage. Since then, the concept has evolved rapidly.

In 2022, the first working prototypes made a modest debut, showing basic walking and arm movements. By 2023, Optimus Gen 2 was capable of handling more sophisticated tasks, including sorting coloured blocks, balancing in yoga poses, and performing rudimentary dance steps. Tesla also improved the robot’s dexterity, equipping its hands with 11 degrees of movement — with future models expected to have up to 22.

Elon Musk has repeatedly emphasised Optimus’s potential, describing it as one of Tesla’s most significant innovations. Unlike traditional robots that follow pre-programmed instructions, Optimus is designed to learn autonomously through real-world interactions and simulations, allowing it to adapt to varied environments and tasks.

Musk has also touted Optimus as a driver of sustainability, taking on physically demanding roles and thereby easing the human workload.

While some still question the robot’s current capabilities, the latest footage adds to a growing body of evidence that Tesla’s humanoid vision is progressing — and now, apparently, with rhythm.