A Tesla engineer at Gigafactory Texas in Austin was reportedly attacked by a robot, resulting in an “open wound” on his left hand, as detailed in a 2021 injury report filed with Travis County, according to a Tuesday report by Sputnik, citing the UK newspaper Daily Mail.
The incident occurred while the engineer was programming two other disabled Tesla robots. The robot responsible for the attack, designed to handle freshly cast aluminum car parts, malfunctioned during operation. Two witnesses observed the engineer sustaining injuries and leaving a “trail of blood” after the robot pinned him down, sinking its metal claws into his back and arm. The witnesses promptly activated the emergency shutdown button.
The injury report indicated that the engineer suffered a “laceration, cut, open wound” as a result of the robot malfunction. Despite the severity of the incident, Tesla reportedly stated that the engineer did not require time off for recovery.
While Tesla claimed no other robot-related injuries at the Gigafactory Texas were reported to authorities, the incident raises concerns about the potential risks associated with automated robots in the workplace. The report highlighted similar concerns arising from injuries at Amazon shipment centers, incidents involving killer droid-surgeons, self-driving cars, and even robotic chess instructors.
Hannah Alexander, an attorney from the nonprofit Workers Defense Project representing the factory’s contract workers, expressed skepticism about the reporting accuracy, suggesting that the number of injuries at the factory might be underreported based on her conversations with workers. She advised interpreting the report “with a grain of salt.”
