Elon Musk Wants Robots To Follow Criminals Rather Than Sending Them To Prison

Elon Musk wants robots to follow criminals rather than sending them to prison

Last updated: 2025/11/21 at 8:51 AM

News Room Published 21 November 2025

Elon Musk’s latest brainwave hopes to use Tesla’s Optimus robots to follow people around to deter them from committing crime. The recognised world’s richest man said that the humanoid bots could serve as something similar to a Robocop, and that criminals should be let out of prison to be followed by them instead. So, what would it entail? (Picture: Reuters/Brendan McDermid)

A Tesla Optimus robot walks during an appearance outside the Nasdaq Market site in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid — The idea sprung up at Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting, suggesting that using the robot in this manner could offer a ‘more humane form of containment of future crime.’ The idea is that convicted criminals are shadowed by an Optimus robot which serves as a roaming security camera to deter them from committing more crime. However, there was not much follow up for what happens if the robot is attacked. (Picture: Reuters/Brendan McDermid)

Musk said: ‘Y’know we might maybe able to give people a more — if somebody’s committed crime — a more humane form of containment of future crime. Which is if you say, like, you now get a free Optimus and it’s just gonna follow you around and stop you from doing crime. But other than that you get to do anything. It’s just gonna stop you from committing crime, that’s really it. You don’t have to put people in prisons and stuff, I think.’ (Picture: Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/Shu)