Tesla 'brain drain' continues as tech rival poaches another exec: 'It has become incredibly clear'

Tesla, along with other Elon Musk-led companies, has been struggling with a number of issues in the past few months, including talent poaching by OpenAI.

According to Wired, OpenAI has hired David Lau, former vice president of software engineering at Tesla; Uday Ruddarraju, former head of infrastructure engineering at xAI and X; and Mike Dalton, an infrastructure engineer from xAI.

"It has become incredibly clear to me that accelerating progress towards safe, well-aligned artificial general intelligence is the most rewarding mission I could imagine for the next chapter of my career," Lau told Wired.

This comes after the AI company also hired Tesla technical program manager Adam Wilson in early 2025. Wilson had been in charge of managing Tesla's Cortex supercomputer.

This move exacerbates the issue of "brain drain" at Tesla, which has brought the company's future into question. Tesla has already been hit with declining sales, volatile stocks, and increased instances of vandalism against its cars as CEO Musk has drawn ire with his involvement in the federal government and politics. Now, the inability to keep talent has caused the company's progress to stall at a time when new developments are critical.

Regardless of one's personal feelings about Tesla, it's one of the few electric vehicle companies that has consistently turned a profit. This popularity has helped make EVs more accessible to drivers, thanks to the associated infrastructure needed to support the technology being added to the nation's roads.

Watch now: How bad is a gas stove for your home's indoor air quality?

EVs not only help consumers spend less on maintenance and refueling, but they also help the environment by replacing gas-powered cars on the road.

With fewer dirty-fuel-powered vehicles being used, EV drivers are reducing the amount of heat-trapping gases released into the atmosphere. These harmful substances contribute to rising global temperatures that exacerbate extreme weather events.

Luckily, since Tesla's inception, other automakers have caught up on EV technology. There are a number of options available to drivers who want to purchase an electric vehicle but don't want a Tesla.

Do you think Tesla can bounce back from its recent struggles?

Yes 💯