tesla has experienced an outflow of personnel from its artificial intelligence division to a newly formed robotics company, Sunday Robotics, according to reports surfacing November 29, 2025. The departures signal potential competitive pressure for Tesla as it continues to develop its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software and humanoid robot, Optimus.
The exodus of AI talent to Sunday Robotics, founded by former Tesla AI director Jianhong Zhang, underscores the growing demand for expertise in robotics and autonomous systems. While the precise number of Tesla employees who have joined the startup remains undisclosed, the movement of key individuals could impact Tesla’s progress in these critical areas. Industry analysts suggest this development highlights the challenges Tesla faces in retaining specialized AI engineers amidst a competitive landscape.
Jianhong Zhang,who previously led Tesla’s AI efforts in China,established Sunday Robotics with a focus on developing general-purpose robots for industrial applications. The company secured $10 million in seed funding in late october 2025,led by Innovation Works,a venture capital firm. Several engineers who worked under Zhang at Tesla have followed him to the new venture, bringing with them experience in areas such as computer vision, machine learning, and robotics.
Tesla has not publicly commented on the departures. The company continues to recruit AI talent, but faces competition from other tech giants and startups vying for a limited pool of qualified engineers. Tesla’s Optimus robot project, unveiled in 2022, aims to create a versatile humanoid robot capable of performing a wide range of tasks, but relies heavily on continued advancements in AI and robotics.
