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Milan Kovac joined Tesla in 2016 as part of the core autopilot team and rose through the ranks to lead the Optimus initiative. His contributions to Tesla have included spearheading the design and development of the Tesla bot, a project he described as one of the most exhilarating challenges of his career. In a reflective post on X, Kovac thanked his colleagues and expressed gratitude to Elon Musk for the opportunities afforded to him throughout the years.
His departure comes just days after Musk shared reflections on the early days of the autopilot program, highlighting the foundational figures of the Tesla AI team, including both Kovac and Swami. The timing of Kovac’s resignation in relation to Musk’s remarks raises questions about the internal dynamics and timing of decisions at Tesla.