Tesla (TSLA, Financials) hired Henry Kuang, former head of autonomy at General Motors' Cruise unit, as its new director of artificial intelligence, according to Electrek. The move comes as Tesla ramps up its robotaxi efforts following the June 22 launch of a limited Model Y fleet in Austin, Texas.
Kuang brings experience from Cruise, where he helped lead self-driving initiatives before departing last year. While Tesla hasn't specified Kuang's exact responsibilities, the hire signals a sharpened focus on autonomous expansion—especially as CEO Elon Musk eyes wider robotaxi deployment across U.S. cities in the coming year.
The leadership change comes amid broader personnel shifts at Tesla; longtime Musk aide Omead Afshar and HR head Jenna Ferrua both exited the company on Thursday. Despite the reshuffling, Ashok Elluswamy continues to lead Tesla's Autopilot program—a role he's held since 2014.
Tesla's robotaxi strategy appears to be gaining traction; the Austin rollout is already serving paying customers within a limited area, and future expansion could be a key growth lever as Tesla deepens its AI talent pool.
