Tesla's AI director warns employees: 2026 will be the "most difficult year of your life"

At a company-wide meeting, Tesla's head of artificial intelligence, Ashok Elluswamy, warned his employees that 2026 will be a tough year. Tesla has set aggressive timelines for the production of Optimus Prime robots and the expansion of their Robotaxi service. Musk's compensation plan depends on the success of Robotaxi and Optimus Prime. "If you work in Tesla's AI team, then next year will be the toughest year of your life."