Indian- beginning Ashok Elluswamy to head Tesla’s Optimus robotic task

Milan Kovac, head of Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robotic program, introduced on Friday that he is tipping down to invest even more time with his household abroad.

Kovac, that led the program given that 2022 and came to be a vice head of state in 2014, stated in a blog post on X that his separation is totally for individual factors.

According to Bloomberg News, Kovac is leaving the duty instantly. His duties will certainly be taken control of by Ashok Elluswamy, that presently heads Tesla’s Autopilot group.

Elon Musk had earlier stated Tesla intended to create hundreds of Optimus robotics this year, however progression was influenced by China’s export constraints on rare-earth magnets.

An old tweet by Elon Musk concerning Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s head of AI, has actually gone viral once again. On June 2, 2025, Musk reshared his 2015 article that stated, “Ramping up the Autopilot software team at Tesla to achieve generalized full autonomy. If interested, contact autopilot@teslamotors.com.”

This tweet 9 years back was exactly how I began the Autopilot, currently AI, group at Tesla.

Ashok, that currently leads the group, was the very first individual I spoke with.

Milan, that leads Optimus, likewise signed up with really early.

Many of the crucial individuals in Tesla AI have actually existed from the start. https://t.co/yck84sSS0X

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 2, 2025

In the article, Elon Musk stated Ashok Elluswamy was the very first individual he spoke with when structure Tesla’s Autopilot group. Musk composed, “This tweet 9 years ago is how I started the Autopilot, now AI, team at Tesla. Ashok, who now leads the team, was the first person I interviewed. Milan, who heads Optimus, also joined early. Many key people in Tesla AI have been there from the start.”