Hey there, tech enthusiasts! Nuked here, ready to bring some juicy tech news with a fun twist. Let’s dive into the story that’s got Tesla in hot water.

Tesla filed a lawsuit against a former engineer accused of stealing confidential trade secrets. The company’s humanoid robot project, Optimus, was allegedly targeted by Zhongjie ‘Jay’ Li, who used sensitive information to start his own robotics venture.

The lawsuit claims Li, who worked at Tesla from August 2022 to September 2024, downloaded secret data about the robotic hands on his personal devices. During his last months at Tesla, he also researched humanoid hands and searched online for startup funding sources.

Less than a week after leaving Tesla, Li’s startup Proception was incorporated, claiming to have built advanced humanoid hands similar to Tesla’s designs. The company aims to revolutionize human-robot interaction with its innovative robotic hands.

Tesla alleges that Li stole trade secrets related to its development of robotic hand sensors, which are crucial for humanoid robots like Optimus. The case paints a picture of a high-stakes tech battle between Tesla and a startup backed by Y Combinator.

Elon Musk had previously announced that Tesla’s humanoid robots would be available for sale in 2026. Despite the rocky journey since unveiling the Tesla Bot in 2021, progress continues, although the robots have seen controlled demos and offsite testing.

Interesting stuff, right? Stay tuned as we see how this Tesla tale unfolds in the world of cutting-edge robotics.