Why is Tesla losing its AI talents to Sunday Robotics

Tesla has seen a wave of staff leave for Sunday Robotics (SR), a new start-up in home robotics. At least ten Tesla staff, some with senior roles in AI and robotics, have joined SR.

These include Perry Jia, who worked on Tesla’s Autopilot and Optimus robots for six years. Nadeesha Amarasinghe, an AI lead at Tesla for over seven years, also left.

LinkedIn data shows SR has hired a mix of former interns and staff. These are mostly from Tesla’s Autopilot and Optimus projects. Jason Peterson, who worked on Tesla’s taxi and humanoid robot projects, also joined the new firm.

Tesla’s key AI projects, Autopilot and Optimus, are central to its long-term plan, as Elon Musk has said that mastering self-driving cars and humanoid robots is vital for growth, yet many staff have left for SR, drawn by new robotics opportunities.

SR was co-founded by Stanford PhDs Tony Z. Zhao and Cheng Chi. Zhao interned at Tesla’s Autopilot team in 2022. The firm now lists about 50 staff. This includes engineers and “memory developers” who train robots.

In mid-November, SR unveiled its home robot, Memo. Memo can do chores such as folding socks, putting dishes in the washer, and moving wine glasses. The launch shows SR is keen to target home robotics. Lately, more firms have an interest in this space.

Other start-ups, like 1X, have also started releasing home robots to the public. 1X plans to ship its Neo robot to customers next year. There is a surge in small robotics firms. This surge gives Tesla staff options to leave established projects. Some now opt to join ventures with less rigid structures and faster paths to innovation.

The migration from Tesla to SR points to several factors. Staff may seek new roles that give them broader control over projects or more direct influence on product outcomes. At Tesla, senior engineers may feel constrained by corporate pace or layers of approval. SR offers a smaller team and direct access to design and code, which can be more appealing for creative talent.

Tesla faces the challenge of keeping its AI staff engaged as competition in robotics grows. This move shows that many workers need a new option. They want to work in an environment that is friendly to an extent.

SR is new, so its work ethic will be good at the start. Whether or not it can maintain it remains to be seen. Tesla, on its part, needs to stop this exodus. How it will respond may determine its growth path in the years to come.