Tesla sues former Optimus engineer over alleged trade secret theft

Tesla has initiated legal proceedings against a former employee, claiming he misappropriated trade secrets from its humanoid robotics initiative, Optimus, to establish a competing startup. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday and highlighted by Bloomberg, accuses Zhongjie “Jay” Li of unlawfully obtaining sensitive information related to Tesla's advancement of sophisticated robotic hand sensors to launch his new company, Proception, which is backed by Y Combinator and focuses on developing robotic hands. According to the legal complaint, Li was employed by Tesla from August 2022 until September 2024. During his tenure, it is alleged that he downloaded confidential data about the Optimus project onto two personal smartphones. Additionally, the complaint indicates that in the final months of his employment, Li conducted internet searches on his work computer related to “humanoid robotic hands,” as well as research into venture capital and potential funding for startups. The complaint notes a concerning timeline: “Less than a week after his departure from Tesla, Proception was officially registered.” Furthermore, within five months, Proception asserted that it had “successfully built” advanced humanoid robotic hands, which reportedly bear a striking similarity to the designs developed during Li's time at Tesla. Proception's website claims that the company aims to “revolutionize human-robot interaction by constructing the world's most advanced humanoid hands.” Both Proception and Tesla were contacted for comments regarding the allegations. Tesla's Optimus robotics program has encountered challenges since the announcement of the Tesla Bot in 2021. Initially slated for introduction in 2023 alongside other products, the Optimus project remains under development. In a July 2024 update, Elon Musk stated that the company anticipates beginning sales of the robot in 2026. Notably, during Tesla’s “We, Robot” event in October 2024, the Optimus bots present were primarily operated by remote human controllers.