Tesla is suing former engineer Zhongjie “Jay” Li, accusing him of stealing trade secrets from its Optimus humanoid robot program and launching a rival startup, Proception Inc., just days after leaving the company.

Tesla claims Li copied key designs, including advanced robotic hand technology, and used them to create a nearly identical product, the “ProHand.”

The lawsuit seeks damages and an injunction to stop the use of Tesla’s proprietary tech.

The legal battle comes as Tesla pushes to rapidly scale its Optimus robots, with CEO Elon Musk calling it the company’s biggest future product, Quartz has reported.

The case highlights both the promise and vulnerability of Tesla’s robotics ambitions.

Written by B.C. Begley