Latest news with #Zhongjie'Jay'Li
India Today
a day ago
- Automotive
- India Today
Tesla sues ex-engineer for stealing Optimus robot secrets to launch rival startup
Tesla has filed a lawsuit against a former employee, accusing him of stealing confidential information related to its humanoid robotics project, Optimus, and using it to establish a competing startup. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday and first reported by Bloomberg, targets Zhongjie 'Jay' Li, who was employed at Tesla between August 2022 and September 2024. Tesla alleges that Li misappropriated trade secrets involving the development of its advanced robotic hand sensors, and later used this proprietary knowledge to launch his own venture, Proception — a startup backed by Y Combinator, which specialises in humanoid robotic to the legal complaint, Li downloaded sensitive Optimus project data onto two personal smartphones during his tenure at Tesla. In addition to accessing confidential files, the lawsuit claims that, in the months leading up to his departure, Li used Tesla's internal systems to conduct research on humanoid robotic hand design and explored topics related to venture capital and startup funding, suggesting premeditated intentions to establish a competing business.'Less than a week after he left Tesla, Proception was incorporated,' the complaint reads. 'And within just five months, Proception publicly claimed to have 'successfully built' advanced humanoid robotic hands—hands that bear a striking resemblance to the designs Li worked on at Tesla.' Proception's website describes its mission as seeking to "revolutionise human-robot interaction by building the world's most advanced humanoid hands." The similarities between Proception's designs and Tesla's proprietary work have prompted Tesla to take legal action to protect its intellectual humanoid robotics journey has faced several hurdles since it was first unveiled in 2021, when CEO Elon Musk introduced the Tesla Bot concept — later branded as Optimus. Initially, the company indicated that the humanoid robot would debut alongside other products in 2023. However, progress has been slower than expected, with the Optimus robot still in July 2024, Musk provided an updated timeline, stating that Tesla hoped to begin commercial sales of the Optimus robot by 2026. However, by October 2024, at Tesla's 'We, Robot' event, the showcased Optimus robots were still largely operated by humans remotely, highlighting that the technology remains a work in maintains that Li's alleged theft of intellectual property could jeopardise years of internal research and development invested in Optimus. The lawsuit underscores the high stakes involved in the race to develop advanced robotics, particularly as companies like Tesla seek to lead the emerging market for humanoid robots capable of performing complex, human-like Tesla has faced technical setbacks in bringing Optimus to market, the ongoing development of robotic hands is seen as a critical component in making the humanoid robot fully functional. The advanced hand sensors Li allegedly accessed are believed to play a pivotal role in enabling robots to replicate precise, human-like dexterity, a key milestone that could set Tesla apart from competitors in the has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit, and the legal proceedings are now In
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Tesla sues ex-engineer for allegedly stealing humanoid robot tech to launch rival startup
Tesla has filed a federal lawsuit against former employee Zhongjie 'Jay' Li and his startup, Proception Inc, accusing them of misappropriating trade secrets related to the company's humanoid robot project, Optimus. The suit was filed Wednesday in a US District Court in San Francisco, ET Tech reports. According to Tesla, Li, who worked at the EV giant from August 2022 until September 2024, illegally transferred confidential design files to his personal devices just weeks before resigning. Shortly thereafter, he incorporated Proception Inc, which has since claimed rapid progress in humanoid robotics—particularly in robotic hand development. Tesla Alleges Direct Copying of Proprietary Designs The complaint alleges that Li transferred sensitive data related to Optimus onto two personal smartphones during his final weeks at Tesla. Investigations further revealed that Li had been searching for 'humanoid robotic hands' and startup funding opportunities on his Tesla-issued laptop. 'Less than a week after he left Tesla, Proception was incorporated,' the company stated in its filing. 'And within just five months, Proception publicly claimed to have 'successfully built' advanced humanoid robotic hands—hands that bear a striking resemblance to the designs Li worked on at Tesla.' The lawsuit asserts that Proception's current robotic prototypes are unlawfully derived from Tesla's proprietary work on Optimus, the company's ambitious humanoid robot project that Elon Musk has touted as a future cornerstone of Tesla's AI portfolio. The legal action follows a broader leadership transition within Tesla's Optimus team. Milan Kovac, vice president of engineering for Optimus, has stepped down from his role. He will be succeeded by Ashok Elluswamy, the current head of Tesla's Autopilot engineering division, according to Bloomberg. Tesla has not commented publicly beyond the contents of the lawsuit, and Proception has yet to issue a formal response. What's at Stake With humanoid robotics seen as a major next frontier in artificial intelligence and automation, Tesla's Optimus project holds strategic importance. The company has already showcased early-stage prototypes of Optimus and has positioned it as a potential game-changer across manufacturing, logistics, and even domestic use cases. If Tesla's claims prove valid, the case could set a precedent in the highly competitive and fast-evolving humanoid robotics space, where intellectual property and first-mover advantage are critical.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tesla sues former Optimus engineer over alleged trade secret theft
Tesla sued a former engineer for allegedly stealing trade secrets from its humanoid robotics program, Optimus, and using them to launch a rival startup. The lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday and originally reported on by Bloomberg, accuses Zhongjie 'Jay' Li of stealing trade secrets regarding Tesla's development of 'advanced robotic hand sensors' to launch his startup Proception, a Y Combinator-backed company building robotic hands. The complaint states that Li, who worked at Tesla from August 2022 to September 2024, downloaded confidential information about Optimus on two separate personal smartphones. The complaint also added that during the last few months of his time at Tesla, Li researched 'humanoid robotic hands' on his workplace computer in addition to making internet searches regarding venture capital and other startup funding sources. 'Less than a week after he left Tesla, Proception was incorporated,' the complaint stated. 'And within just five months, Proception publicly claimed to have 'successfully built' advanced humanoid robotic hands—hands that bear a striking resemblance to the designs Li worked on at Tesla.' Proception's website states the company is working to 'revolutionize human-robot interaction by building the world's most advanced humanoid hands.' TechCrunch reached out to Proception and Tesla for more information. Tesla's Optimus robotics program has been on a bit of a rocky path since the company unveiled it was building a humanoid robot, Tesla Bot, in 2021. In 2022, the company said that the bot, alongside other new products, would be introduced in 2023. But Optimus has remained in development. In July 2024, Tesla's Elon Musk said that the company would begin selling the robot in 2026. Just a few months later at Tesla's 'We, Robot' event in October 2024, Tesla's Optimus bots in attendance were largely controlled by humans offsite.
TechCrunch
2 days ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Tesla sues former Optimus engineer over alleged trade secret theft
Tesla sued a former engineer for allegedly stealing trade secrets from its humanoid robotics program, Optimus, and using them to launch a rival startup. The lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday and originally reported on by Bloomberg, accuses Zhongjie 'Jay' Li of stealing trade secrets regarding Tesla's development of 'advanced robotic hand sensors' to launch his startup Proception, a Y Combinator-backed company building robotic hands. The complaint states that Li, who worked at Tesla from August 2022 to September 2024, downloaded confidential information about Optimus on two separate personal smartphones. The complaint also added that during the last few months of his time at Tesla, Li researched 'humanoid robotic hands' on his workplace computer in addition to making internet searches regarding venture capital and other startup funding sources. 'Less than a week after he left Tesla, Proception was incorporated,' the complaint stated. 'And within just five months, Proception publicly claimed to have 'successfully built' advanced humanoid robotic hands—-hands that bear a striking resemblance to the designs Li worked on at Tesla.' Proception's website states the company is working to 'revolutionize human-robot interaction by building the world's most advanced humanoid hands.' TechCrunch reached out to Proception and Tesla for more information. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW Tesla's Optimus robotics program has been on a bit of a rocky path since the company unveiled it was building a humanoid robot, Tesla Bot, in 2021. In 2022, the company said that the bot, alongside other new products, would be introduced in 2023. But Optimus has remained in development. In July 2024, Tesla's Elon Musk said that the company would begin selling the robot in 2026. Just a few months later at Tesla's 'We, Robot' event in October 2024, Tesla's Optimus bots in attendance were largely controlled by humans offsite.
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Tesla Sues Ex-Optimus Engineer Alleging Theft of Robotic Trade Secrets
Tesla Inc. sued a former engineer with the company's highly secretive Optimus program, accusing him of stealing confidential information about the humanoid robot and setting up a rival startup in Silicon Valley. Zhongjie 'Jay' Li worked at Tesla between August 2022 and September 2024, according to a complaint filed in a San Francisco Federal Court late on Wednesday. Li worked on 'advanced robotic hand sensors—and was entrusted with some of the most sensitive technical data in the program,' Tesla's lawyers said in the complaint.
