Bloomberg: Around self-driving, Apple and Tesla have launched a talent rush

Bloomberg reported on Nov. 6 that Mark Gurman and Dana Hull reported that Apple hired Tesla's director of self-driving software to take charge of the car.

Apple hired a former Tesla engineer to step up car development efforts, who has sparked controversy this year over comments about the company's self-driving capabilities.

According to people familiar with the matter, the iPhone maker hired Christopher Moore for the team that developed the self-driving car. Moore,who is in charge of the software, reports to Stuart Bowles, another former Tesla executive who joined Apple late last year. Bowers led Tesla's autopilot team before leaving in mid-2019.

The move suggests that Apple is going all out to try to develop self-driving technology, a high-stakes race with automakers like Tesla. Moore will join a division known for its secrecy because Apple has never publicly demonstrated its car plans and, moreover, it is a department with frequent turnover. Apple's head of auto projects, code-named Titan, left the company earlier this year to lead technical work at Ford Motor Company.

At Tesla, Moore hinted that CEO Elon Musk exaggerated the capabilities of autopilot software. Earlier this year, California Motor Vehicles Authority officials interviewed Moore as part of an investigation into self-driving software. Asked Moore, Musk claims Tesla will be able to drive completely autonomously this year.

In his response, Moore said Musk's statement was "inconsistent with engineering reality." For years, Musk has said he believes Tesla is close to releasing so-called Level 5 self-driving features, which would mean cars can operate without human intervention. The current system, known as Level 2, requires the driver to put his hand on the steering wheel.

Recently, the heirs of a Florida man who died in a car accident while using autopilot in 2019 filed a lawsuit in an attempt to subpoena Moore as a witness. Legal documents related to the case were disclosed in October, though Moore has left Tesla.

Apple recently replaced former project leader Doug Field with Kevin Lynch, who has led software engineering for the Apple Watch from the beginning of the product. It has also hired other big names from the automotive world, including Urlich Kranz, former CEO of self-driving car startup Canoo.

The Apple team has other former Tesla executives, including the company's former head of drivetrains, Michael Schwekuch, and interiors director Steve McManus. At the same time, the team also lost several managers. In addition to Field, this year's departures include robotics supervisor Dave Scott and security director Jaime Weido. Another former manager of the work, Dave Rosenthal, also left Apple's project earlier.