Tesla Sues Ex-Engineer Over Robot Trade Secrets

Tesla has filed a federal lawsuit against former engineer Zhongjie 'Jay' Li and his startup Proception Inc., accusing them of stealing trade secrets from the Optimus humanoid robot project. The case alleges Li downloaded highly confidential files about robotic hand sensors shortly before resigning from Tesla in September 2024, then founded Proception just six days later. Within five months, Proception showcased robotic hands that Tesla claims closely resemble its own advanced designs. Tesla asserts that Li and Proception used misappropriated secrets to rapidly accelerate development, achieving in months what took Tesla years and billions of dollars. The company seeks monetary damages and a court order to prevent further use of its trade secrets. The lawsuit underscores escalating competition in the race to create advanced, dexterous robotic hands in the robotics industry.