# Tesla Optimus training report describes worker objections > A September report describes Tesla workers objecting to Optimus training work. Tesla's July filing confirms factory conversion but gives no current robot output count. By BIG CHANGE Editorial Published: 2026-09-26T05:12:48.175Z Updated: 2026-09-26T05:12:48.175Z Canonical: https://bigchange.ai/blog/tesla-optimus-worker-training ![An empty dark motion-capture garment with small markers hangs from a wheeled clothing rack.](https://bigchange.ai/api/media/file/motion-capture-garment-hero-v1.png) AI-generated conceptual illustration by BIG CHANGE. Workers at Tesla factories in California and Texas wore motion-capture suits to record work for the Optimus humanoid robot, according to [reporting by The Information](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/teslas-optimus-hits-snags-hands-suppliers-scale-up-begins) summarized by [Ars Technica on September 25](https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/tesla-workers-balk-at-training-optimus-humanoid-robots-as-replacements/). Ars says some workers objected because they understood the robots were intended eventually to replace them. The report describes Tesla moving data collection to dedicated teams and training hubs. These accounts have not been confirmed in a current Tesla disclosure reviewed for this article. ## The big change - **What changed:** The reported training work puts factory employees into the development process for Optimus. Their movements become training data as Tesla prepares to make more robots; the September account of worker objections and a shift to dedicated teams remains attributed reporting. - **Why it matters:** Collecting examples of physical work depends on people willing and able to demonstrate it. The reported objections put labor concerns inside the robot-development process; the sources reviewed do not establish whether the program has displaced employees. - **What to watch:** Tesla says its initial Fremont builds are intended for its Optimus Academy, where they will collect training data and support development. A later company update that identifies the robots' tasks, output and training arrangements would clarify how the program is progressing. ## What the worker account establishes In Ars Technica's account of The Information's reporting, Tesla asked factory workers to wear suits that captured their movements while working. Some complained about helping train robots they believed were designed to replace them. Ars says Tesla then assigned the collection work to dedicated teams and established training hubs. The accessible account does not say how many workers participated or objected, which tasks were recorded, or whether employees lost jobs because of the program. Motion capture addresses one part of the problem: a robot needs examples of how people move through physical tasks. Recordings alone do not show that Optimus can carry out those tasks independently, repeatedly or safely. Ars reports a source describing current Optimus work as requiring programming for specific tasks in controlled settings. ## Manufacturing progress and the remaining gap The same September report describes trouble assembling Optimus hands and forearms, unreliable touch sensors, and equipment that struggles to align components. Ars says The Information reported output of hundreds of robots a week and a target above 1,000 a week by the end of 2026. These are reported figures and a target, respectively; neither is a Tesla-confirmed current production count. Tesla's [July 22 shareholder update filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1318605/000162828026049213/exhibit991.htm) supplies a different kind of evidence. It says the company decommissioned the Model S and X lines at Fremont and was installing its first Optimus production lines there. Tesla expected production to begin soon and said initial builds would go to its Optimus Academy for training-data collection and further development. Its manufacturing table listed Optimus operations in California and Texas as **construction**, with no installed annual capacity figure for either site. The July filing confirms Tesla committed factory space and described a plan for early robots. The September reporting suggests more activity since then, but the two sources do not establish how many robots are completing useful work in a factory today. That distinction matters for workers and managers evaluating the program: building units, gathering demonstrations and operating a dependable robot workforce are separate milestones. ## Sources & further reading - [The Information, “Tesla’s Optimus Hits Snags in Hands, Suppliers as Scale-Up Begins”](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/teslas-optimus-hits-snags-hands-suppliers-scale-up-begins) (September 25, 2026). Original reporting cited by Ars Technica. The article body was behind a subscription wall during our check, so we rely on Ars for the worker and hardware details rather than claim to have verified the full original account. - [Ars Technica, “Tesla workers balk at training Optimus humanoid robots as replacements”](https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/tesla-workers-balk-at-training-optimus-humanoid-robots-as-replacements/) (September 25, 2026). Accessible account of The Information's reporting, including worker objections, data collection, hands and reported production rate. - [Tesla Q2 2026 shareholder update, SEC filing](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1318605/000162828026049213/exhibit991.htm) (July 22, 2026). Tesla's own account of Fremont's line conversion, intended use of initial Optimus builds and construction status at its California and Texas sites. It predates the September reporting. ## Sources - [Tesla’s Optimus Hits Snags in Hands, Suppliers as Scale-Up Begins](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/teslas-optimus-hits-snags-hands-suppliers-scale-up-begins) — Original report cited by Ars. Landing page showed title and authors; article body was inaccessible behind the subscription wall. Detailed claims rely on the accessible Ars account. - [Tesla workers balk at training Optimus humanoid robots as replacements](https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/tesla-workers-balk-at-training-optimus-humanoid-robots-as-replacements/) — Accessible secondary account of The Information's reporting. Source for the attributed worker, training, hand and weekly-output details; it is not independent confirmation of those details. - [Tesla Q2 2026 shareholder update filed with the SEC](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1318605/000162828026049213/exhibit991.htm) — Primary company disclosure. Page 6 records Fremont Optimus line installation, intended training use of initial builds and construction status at California and Texas sites. It predates September reporting.