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Tesla’s Optimus Humanoid Robot Program Chief Milan Kovac Resigns

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Milan Kovac, head of Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot program, announced his departure from the company in a post on X on Friday, citing personal reasons for the decision. Kovac, who took charge of the program in 2022 as director of Optimus and Autopilot Engineering and was promoted to vice president in 2023, stated that his decision was driven solely by the need to spend more time with his family abroad.

“I’ve been far away from home for too long, and will need to spend more time with family abroad. I want to make it clear that this is the only reason,” Kovac said on social media.

According to Bloomberg News, which first reported the news, Kovac will leave his position immediately. Leadership of the Optimus program will now transition to Ashok Elluswamy, who currently heads Tesla’s Autopilot division. Neither Tesla nor Elluswamy have publicly commented on the leadership change.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously emphasized the central role that the Optimus robot and full autonomy play in the company’s long-term future. “The only things that matter in the long term are autonomy and Optimus,” Musk told CNBC in May.

Musk has stated that Tesla aims to produce thousands of Optimus robots this year, though the project has faced supply chain obstacles. In April, Musk noted that China’s export restrictions on rare-earth magnets had affected production of the humanoid robots.

Tesla has increasingly focused its business strategy on autonomous technology, including both the Optimus robots and the company’s anticipated robotaxi service. Much of Tesla’s future valuation, Musk has indicated, is tied to the success of these initiatives.

GM Completes Full Acquisition of Cruise to Focus on Autonomous Personal Vehicles

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General Motors (GM) announced on Tuesday that it has completed the full acquisition of its Cruise division, signaling a shift in focus toward developing autonomous technology for personal vehicles, rather than continuing with the robotaxi business. This strategic move comes after GM decided in December to halt funding for Cruise’s robotaxi operations, following a series of challenges including a pedestrian injury caused by one of its robotaxis.

GM plans to integrate Cruise’s autonomous technology into its Super Cruise system, which allows hands-free driving on 750,000 miles of North American roads. Super Cruise is already available on over 20 GM vehicle models, and the company aims to expand its use in urban environments. The merger also involves significant staff reductions, with Cruise cutting around 50% of its workforce, impacting nearly 1,000 employees according to sources close to the matter.

The goal of the acquisition is to accelerate the development of autonomy at scale for personal vehicles, rather than robotaxis. GM believes that this merger will help advance both assisted driving and full autonomy. The company has forecasted that Super Cruise will generate approximately $2 billion in annual revenue within the next five years.

Dave Richardson, senior vice president of software and services engineering at GM, expressed that this move will speed up efforts to bring autonomous driving capabilities to personal vehicles. The transition marks a pivotal moment for GM, as it shifts its focus toward achieving greater success with its hands-free driving technology.