According to Sawyer Merritt on X (formerly Twitter), Tesla's Optimus robot was seen handing out candy in Times Square, showcasing its advanced AI-powered mobility and human interaction capabilities (source: x.com/Patient_Profits/status/1982810121525657950). This public demonstration highlights significant progress in physical AI deployment, signaling potential business opportunities for AI-driven robotics across sectors like retail, hospitality, and customer engagement. Tesla's use of Optimus in a crowded urban environment underlines the maturation of AI robotics for real-world, high-traffic applications, and positions the company as a leader in bringing humanoid robots closer to commercial viability.

According to Sawyer Merritt, Elon Musk announced that Tesla will unveil Optimus version 3 in Q1 2026, highlighting a significant leap in humanoid robotics. Musk emphasized its advanced AI-driven realism, stating the robot will appear nearly indistinguishable from a human, representing a major step for AI-powered automation in manufacturing, logistics, and personal assistance (source: Sawyer Merritt via Twitter, Oct 22, 2025). This development signals expanding business opportunities for AI robotics integration across multiple industries.