Leadership Addition to Accelerate Autonomous Driving
Tesla has hired Henry Kuang, a former executive from General Motors’ autonomous vehicle subsidiary Cruise, to serve as its new Director of Artificial Intelligence. This move, reported by Electrek and confirmed by multiple outlets, comes as Tesla intensifies its focus on advancing self-driving and robotaxi initiatives[1][2][3][4].
Henry Kuang’s Background
- Kuang previously served as Senior Director of Engineering and later Head of Autonomy at Cruise, GM’s once-promising self-driving venture.
- At Cruise, he led teams in developing perception and autonomy systems for the company’s fleet of driverless vehicles, which operated in cities like San Francisco, Phoenix, and Austin before the service was suspended in late 2023.
- Before joining Cruise, Kuang held roles at Meta, bringing extensive experience in both artificial intelligence and large-scale autonomous systems[5].
Cruise’s Challenges and Kuang’s Move
Cruise, founded in 2013 and acquired by GM in 2016, aggressively pursued commercial driverless ride-hailing services. However, a series of high-profile incidents and operational hurdles forced the company to pull its autonomous fleet off the roads in 2023. GM eventually ceased funding for Cruise in late 2024 and integrated parts of the team into its broader advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) operations[2].
According to Kuang’s LinkedIn profile, he left Cruise in 2024 and joined Tesla in May 2025 as Director of AI/Deep Learning Technologies for Autonomous Driving[2][4][5].
Strategic Timing for Tesla
Tesla’s decision to bring Kuang onboard comes as the automaker is under increased pressure to deliver on its promises of fully autonomous vehicles and a functional robotaxi fleet. CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly emphasized that autonomy is critical to Tesla’s future growth.
External AI Tools in Automotive Space
The broader push in autonomous driving relies on advanced AI tools such as
ChatGPT and other generative and perception models for real-time decision making and simulation, highlighting the importance of experienced leadership in AI to tackle both software and safety challenges.
Mixed Signals on Official Confirmation
While several outlets and influential Tesla commentators on social media have discussed Kuang’s hiring, Tesla’s current VP of AI Software, Ashok Elluswamy, reportedly denied the news in a public comment, calling reports of the hire “fake news.” However, Kuang’s public profile and industry sources widely report that he is now part of Tesla’s AI leadership[5].
Conclusion
Henry Kuang’s transition from Cruise to Tesla marks a significant development in the race to commercialize autonomous vehicles. His experience leading AI and perception teams in the challenging robotaxi industry positions him as a key player in Tesla's ambition to dominate the next wave of automotive innovation.
