"The Next Musk": The timetable for AI and robotics has been significantly advanced in the past 90 days.

Musk

1. This Christmas, if you're wondering why Elon Musk hasn't been posting much, it's because he's been obsessed with "Diablo IV" and playing the game until his hands cramp up!

On the 23rd, he posted in the Diablo 4 community on X:

"I may have spent too much time on Diablo. Played for 14 hours straight."

Bee Evolved@X replied with a meme that said:

"You need to level up these numbers, this is too noob."

So, Elon continued to strive for improvement. On the 25th, he replied:

"Absolutely right. Played for 17 hours yesterday! Is the game driving me crazy? ??? My fingers and forearms hurt.

A simulator for masochists, with carpal tunnel syndrome as a reward.

But the game is great."

Tesla

Tesla stock closed at $256.61 on Tuesday, up 1.61% from Friday.

1. Brett Adcock, the founder and CEO of humanoid robot company Figure, wrote a post today summarizing their progress and insights in the field of humanoid robots over the past two years.

Brett also founded electric flying car company Archer Aviation and is often hailed by the media as the "next Elon Musk." He is a fan of Elon and many of their ideas align.

"The timeline division between artificial intelligence and robot hardware has changed.

In the past 90 days, I have witnessed cutting-edge artificial intelligence running on humanoid robot hardware in the lab, and honestly, it surprised me.

I saw robots performing complex tasks solely through neural networks. Artificial intelligence trained those tasks that I thought would only be feasible by the end of this decade.

When we started Figure in 2022, I believed that we would have reliable humanoid robot hardware before we could run reliable real-world neural networks on robots.

Essentially, I thought training robots to do tasks like 'housework' would extend our timeline.

In the past few months, my perspective on this has changed.

I now believe that we will likely have reliable artificial intelligence running on hardware before we have highly reliable and mass-produced humanoid robot hardware.

In my view, the path to delivering reliable robot hardware is clear and predictable, and given time, the problem will be solved.

Figure's AI team is running humanoid robots with end-to-end neural networks, performing highly complex and dexterous tasks.

This is exciting because you can teach robots how to complete tasks, and as the robot fleet grows, the training set will also increase. 2024 will be the year of Embodied AI.

We are working tirelessly to create reliable hardware, massive training sets, and design the production process for billions of robots.

We will showcase our Embodied AI in 2024, so stay tuned!"

Afterwards, Brett took some time to answer questions from X friends.

Question:

"How does Figure solve the safety issue of the "last mile" problem, similar to the safety issue of autonomous driving AI, where there are several 9s after the decimal point?"

Brett Adcock:

"Robots walking at a speed of 1.2 meters per second do not have the same safety issues as autonomous driving, which is what slows down the progress of the latter. These two cannot be compared at all. That's why our development speed will be much faster."

Question:

"People are concerned that robots will take away their jobs. How difficult is it to win such a debate?"

Brett Adcock:

"If you really step into the factory workshop, you will find that their annual employee turnover rate exceeds 100%. A labor crisis is happening, as no one is willing to do these jobs and companies cannot find enough manpower. It will take a long time for us to fill the labor gap."

Question:

"Has Figure surpassed Boston Dynamics because they still rely on heuristic programming while you are already using neural networks?"

Brett Adcock:

"Boston Dynamics is a traditional robotics research company. Therefore, their engineering requirements and goals are completely different. It's like comparing AC Propulsion (the predecessor of Roadster) with Tesla."

Question:

"Please let this company go public so that we can invest."

Brett Adcock:

"Let Archer go public through APAC, and then bundle it with Figure?"

Question:

"What is the biggest obstacle for people to allow these robots into their homes to do chores?"

Brett Adcock:

"Before establishing trust in home robots, there needs to be a high safety record."

1. According to Bloomberg, Tesla is preparing to launch a new model of the Model Y at the Shanghai Gigafactory in China, with production starting as early as mid-2024. Bloomberg states, "The changes in appearance and interior of the 2024 version of the Model Y will be more significant than the new model in October."

2. In the fourth week of December, Tesla insured 18,500 vehicles in China. This is the second highest insured volume of the year (the highest was 18,712 vehicles in the third week of March).

Image: Tsla Chan@X 5. Farzad@X said:

"The time for disrupting the housing manufacturing industry has come, and it's no joke.

Whichever company decides to vertically integrate housing construction will make a fortune, and they will have a stranglehold on the entire industry."

Elon replied:

"There are some interesting startups in this field."

On the first day after Christmas, the Texas Gigafactory is delivering Cybertrucks.

1. Tesla's long-time customer Diego Martinez has published a children's book about the Cybertruck called "The Ugly Truck: The Story of My Cybertruck." According to teslarati, Elon also received a copy of this book in early December. [1]

On Amazon, the product page for this gem describes the children's book as follows [2]:

When Dad brings home a Cybertruck, his daughter is not impressed. This truck has a futuristic appearance that is different from the traditional ones, and in the familiar world of cars, it is like an ugly duckling. However, as the little girl learns more about the features of the Cybertruck and its potential to help the world, she begins to see it in a whole new light.

Following in the footsteps of the little girl, she embarks on an exciting adventure with her dad and the Cybertruck, exploring the wonders of this high-tech vehicle. From its incredible traction to its sustainable energy, the Cybertruck proves to be an impressive machine that can truly change the world.

"The Ugly Truck: The Story of My Cybertruck" features stunning illustrations and a captivating storyline, making it a must-read for children of all ages. This story teaches children important lessons about acceptance, innovation, and the power of technology to create positive change. So whether you're a truck enthusiast or just looking for an engaging and inspiring story, don't miss out on this exciting new book!

SpaceX

1. The remains of the heroic booster B1058, which perished in rough seas, have returned to Port Canaveral. Part of it still remains on the "Read the Instructions" drone ship. After completing its 19th launch and landing, the spacecraft capsized and broke apart on the turbulent sea while returning to Port Canaveral.

Jon Edwards, Vice President of Falcon Rockets at SpaceX, said:

"We are planning to salvage the engines and conduct a lifespan inspection on the remaining hardware. This booster still holds considerable value, and we will not let it go to waste."

Images 1+2: John Kraus, Images 3+4: Max Evans. Image 2 is the former B1058.

1. Starlink provides reliable internet connection for children on Tierra Bomba Island in Colombia, allowing them to learn, explore, and connect with the world.

Pedro Salazar founded the educational organization "Del Mar Amigos" in 2010 to help underprivileged children. This organization is located on a small island near Cartagena, Colombia.

Before Pedro installed Starlink, there was no reliable internet connection on the island. Now, he explains to the children what the internet is through his own experience. He says, "Imagine Tierra Bomba as an island that is connected to other islands through the internet."

Connection is crucial for Pedro and his team. They hold educational workshops to teach English, technology, and recycling. They also organize beach clean-ups and other community activities, as well as offer surfing lessons.

X

1. X News Daily @X reviewed the Christmas Eve last year that gave Elon a headache (see Chapter 92 "Christmas Heist" in the book "Elon Musk Biography"):

"On Christmas Eve last year, Elon decided to dismantle X's data center in Sacramento and relocate it to Portland. This decision was made after the company's management warned him that the relocation could take 6-9 months.

Elon decided to move the servers himself.

He later said that he regretted this decision because it led to service interruptions."

Elon replied yesterday:

"In all aspects, this decision was the right one. I wouldn't change it."

Author: 瓦砾老瓦， Source: 瓦砾村夫 On November 29th, VESYNC spent HKD 5.6445 million to repurchase 1 million shares.