From Gaming Studio to Robotics: Exploring Musk’s New Ventures  

Elon Musk needs no introduction in the tech world. Surely, we recognize him by the names of Tesla, SpaceX, or X (formerly Twitter), but these are just a fraction of his expansive impact. Beyond these well-established ventures, Musk continues to explore new avenues within the technology sector, demonstrating a diverse range of interests. 

This year, he is planning to expand his ventures into areas such as AI gaming and robotics. As he continues to explore new challenges and opportunities, these latest pursuits offer a glimpse into the evolving landscape of his entrepreneurial endeavours. In this article, we will explore some of Musk’s latest ventures, delving into the exciting innovations and their potential impact on the future. 

Tesla’s Optimus Robot 

Musk’s latest venture has garnered significant attention in the rapidly evolving field of robotics. At Tesla’s AI Day event in 2022, he unveiled the working prototype of the “Optimus” robot—a remarkable humanoid driven by Tesla’s advanced neural network and AI systems. Designed to function autonomously, Optimus is equipped with eight autopilot cameras like those in Tesla’s Full-Self Driving vehicles. This allows it to navigate its environment without human assistance. The robot can learn tasks through observation or remote control, making it a versatile tool for everyday household chores such as laundry and dishwashing. In industrial settings, Optimus holds the potential to transform manufacturing processes by automating labour-intensive and repetitive tasks, thereby enhancing safety by taking on hazardous jobs and improving overall efficiency across various sectors. 

Tesla is targeting a long-term price range of US$20,000 to US$30,000 (approx. £16,053 to £24,080) per unit for Optimus, with plans to begin limited production in 2025. Initially, the company aims to deploy over 1,000 units within its own facilities, with broader production for other companies expected to commence in 2026. It will be interesting to see whether Optimus will truly live up to its potential and become a groundbreaking innovation in robotics or if it will ultimately prove to be just another entrant in the growing market for humanoid robots. 

AI-powered Gaming Studio 

Given his lifelong fascination with video games, it’s no surprise that Musk plans to enter the gaming industry. In November 2024, he announced plans to launch a new gaming studio under his AI startup, xAI. This studio will leverage AI to streamline game development and enhance player experiences.  

Musk’s announcement followed a post by Dogecoin co-creator Billy Markus on X (formerly Twitter), who expressed his dissatisfaction with the current state of gaming, particularly its growing focus on corporate interests and “manipulative” practices. Musk resonated with this sentiment, stating that large corporations have overly influenced the gaming industry. He added that xAI will establish an AI-powered game studio to make games great again!  

Beyond these broader critiques, Musk has publicly voiced concerns about specific issues within the gaming sector. He recently accused Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella of discriminatory hiring practices at Xbox, further emphasising his concerns about corporate influence. Moreover, Musk strongly condemned the inclusion of a pronoun selection feature in an upcoming Xbox game, stating on X, “Having pronouns in a fantasy video game is utterly unacceptable.” 

X Money 

After acquiring Twitter (now known as X), Musk is significantly expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond just social media. Later this year, X plans to launch “X Money,” a new payment service that will leverage Visa Direct, Visa’s real-time payment platform. This new service will let you easily and safely add money to your X Wallet using Visa Direct. You can also link your existing debit card for quick peer-to-peer payments. Plus, users will have the option to quickly transfer money back to their bank account whenever they need it. 

X has been actively obtaining money transfer licenses from various U.S. states under the name Twitter Payments to support this ambitious initiative.  They hold approximately 40 state licenses and one for the District of Columbia. This significant progress in obtaining regulatory approvals suggests that the company is preparing to facilitate financial transactions on a large scale across the United States, if not nationwide. Although the official launch date for X Money has not been announced, one of its primary focuses will be to simplify payment processing for creators, enabling them to receive and manage their earnings directly within the X ecosystem.

X TV 

Musk is reportedly looking to venture into the digital content space with X TV alongside X Money. Envisioned as a dynamic streaming platform, X TV is poised to deliver diverse media, including live sports broadcasts. Although exact details have not been released, industry analysts believe X TV may include innovative features like interactive live streams and user-generated content curation. 

Distilled 

Despite controversy, Musk continues to push the envelope in various industries, from advancements in AI gaming and robotics to innovations in space and social media.