Tesla used humans to remotely control some capabilities of its Optimus robot prototypes at a recent event, according to people familiar with the matter.

Tesla's "We, Robot" event showcased the company's latest advancements in autonomous technology, but the stars of the afterparty were the Optimus robots, which mingled with guests,

Gene Munster, managing partner of growth-investment firm Deepwater Asset Management, acknowledged the idea that Optimus was remotely controlled and said he had been “fooled” at the event. Still, he said in a post on Musk’s X platform, it gave a “window into the potential around these products.”

Elon Musk's Optimus robots were voiced and operated remotely by humans wearing special suits that translated their movements to the droid.

Behind-the-scenes human ‘assisting’ Optimus meant the We, Robot event said little about how far its humanoid robots have come.

Tesla's Optimus robots, which served drinks and mingled with the crowd, were assisted by humans and "not yet fully autonomous."