Tesla developing in-house supercomputer technology, according to lawsuit against ex-engineer

Tesla Inc. sued a former engineer declaring he illegally transferred confidential information on its supercomputer technological innovation to his individual personal computer and turned around a “dummy” laptop computer for inspection to address up the theft.

Tesla is establishing an in-house supercomputer, dubbed Job Dojo, to deal with massive quantities of information, such as online video from Tesla cars, and using it to make autonomous driving software program. Alexander Yatskov was hired in January as a thermal engineer to assist style and design cooling methods for the computer, which generates a great deal of warmth, Tesla said in the grievance.

“These thermal styles and details are confidential and tightly guarded within just Tesla,” the electrical-motor vehicle maker claimed.

But Tesla claimed Yatskov admitted to downloading confidential information and facts from his Tesla units to his individual products, just after he was confronted. He turned in excess of a “dummy” computer for inspection by Tesla to test and go over his tracks, the enterprise explained.

Yatskov stop on May possibly 2 and has refused to return the information and facts, Tesla explained in the criticism.

When reached by cellular phone, Yatskov claimed he wasn’t knowledgeable of the grievance and declined to instantly comment on it.

Tesla also accused Yatskov of lying in his resume about his skills and operate expertise. He also breached a non-disclosure settlement that barred him from disclosing trade strategies, Tesla stated.

“This is a circumstance about illicit retention of trade secrets and techniques by an staff who, in his short time at Tesla, already demonstrated a observe report of lying and then lying again by furnishing a ‘dummy’ device to test and cover his tracks,” Tesla mentioned in its complaint.

Tesla is looking for compensatory and exemplary damages and an order that would cease Yatskov from disseminating its trade tricks and direct him to return all proprietary info.

The scenario is Tesla Inc. v. Yatskov, 5:22-cv-02725, U.S. District Court docket, Northern District of California (San Jose).