Tesla’s lead developer of the Optimus humanoid robot, Milan Kovac, has announced his departure from the company after nine years. Kovac played a pivotal role in Tesla’s Autopilot program before transitioning to lead the Optimus project. CEO Elon Musk had previously claimed that Optimus could generate $10 trillion in annual revenue and make Tesla a $25 trillion company, though these projections remain speculative given the nascent state of the humanoid robot market. Kovac cited personal reasons for his decision, emphasizing the need to spend more time with his family abroad. His departure follows other notable exits from Tesla’s engineering team. Despite progress in the Optimus program, skepticism remains regarding Tesla’s transparency about its use of teleoperation in demonstrations. Kovac’s exit raises questions about the program’s future but underscores the competitive landscape in humanoid robotics, including companies like Unitree and Figure.
— new from Electrek
