- Wang Naiyan has left to launch a physical AI venture, becoming the latest core tech talent from China's auto industry to enter the emerging field. - Former Xpeng and Li Auto executives have also moved into robotics, while Nio is backing Ren Shaoqing's startup as he retains his autonomous driving role. Xiaomi Auto's L3 autonomous driving technology lead, Wang Naiyan, has reportedly left to launch a physical AI venture, becoming the latest core technology talent from China's auto industry to enter the emerging field. Wang recently left Xiaomi and has been meeting frequently with investors to explore physical AI opportunities, 36Kr reported on Tuesday. 21jingji also reported today, citing multiple independent sources, that Wang has launched an embodied AI venture focused on robot brains and is seeking funding. Wang's team includes several former colleagues from TuSimple, now renamed CreateAI, and has more than 10 core researchers and engineers, an investor told 21jingji. Wang's move extends a migration of automotive autonomous driving talent into robotics and embodied AI. Former executives at Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) and Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) have joined companies in the field or launched startups, while the autonomous driving chief at Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO) is also pursuing an independent venture. The shift reflects efforts to apply perception, planning and reinforcement learning capabilities developed for autonomous driving to a broader range of tasks in the physical world. For automakers, it also means growing pressure to retain core AI talent. Wang holds a doctorate from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and spent 9 years at TuSimple's China operations, serving as chief technology officer for the China region from 2019, 36Kr noted. He joined Xiaomi Auto in May 2024 to lead autonomous driving technology development and L3 projects, reporting to Ye Hangjun, general manager of the