Mind Robotics names ex-Ford and Apple executive Doug Field as president
Rivian spinoff Mind Robotics, founded by Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, has hired Doug Field, previously Ford's EV chief and head of Apple's Project Titan, as president. Field will run the day-to-day business of the industrial robotics startup.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Mind Robotics, a robotics startup spun out of Rivian, announced on 13 October 2026 that it has appointed Doug Field as its president. The VergeLC “Rivian spinoff Mind Robotics announced the appointment of Doug Field as president” Read at The Verge ↗ TechCrunchN “Field has been hired at president of Mind Robotics, an industrial AI and robotics venture that spun out of Rivian last year.” Read at TechCrunch ↗ Centre · 1TechCrunch reported that the news was shared on stage at its Disrupt 2026 event, and that Field will handle the day-to-day business, including product, engineering and operations, while Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe stays involved. TechCrunchN “Scaringe will still be involved with Mind Robotics, but the day-to-day aspects of the business, including product, engineering, and operations will be handled by Field.”“The news, shared on stage at Disrupt 2026” Read at TechCrunch ↗ Mixed · 2Field was a vice president of special projects at Apple, where he led the Project Titan autonomous electric car effort, which The Verge calls ultimately unsuccessful and TechCrunch says was cancelled in 2024. The VergeLC “he was the de facto head of the company’s ultimately unsuccessful Project Titan effort to make an autonomous electric car” Read at The Verge ↗ TechCrunchN “Project Titan, the electric, autonomous car project that was canceled in 2024” Read at TechCrunch ↗
Mixed · 2He also worked at Tesla, where he helped oversee the Model 3 (The Verge calls him chief vehicle engineer from 2013 to 2018; TechCrunch says senior vice president of engineering), and was hired by Ford in 2021 to run its electric vehicle and software division. The VergeLC “he left the company in 2013 to become Tesla’s chief vehicle engineer, where he helped oversee the Model 3 sedan”“In 2021, Field was hired by Ford to run the automaker’s electric vehicle and software division” Read at The Verge ↗ TechCrunchN “He also served as senior vice president of engineering at Tesla, where he oversaw development of the Model 3” Read at TechCrunch ↗ Mixed · 2TechCrunch says Field left Ford in April after five years, as part of a wider leadership reorganisation; The Verge says only that he held the role until earlier this year. TechCrunchN “Field left Ford in April after five years shaping the automaker’s electric vehicle and technology strategies.” Read at TechCrunch ↗ The VergeLC “a position he held until earlier this year” Read at The Verge ↗ Mixed · 2Mind Robotics was founded by Scaringe in 2025 and has raised more than $1 billion; TechCrunch names backers including Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, Eclipse, Kleiner Perkins and the venture arms of Volkswagen and Salesforce. The VergeLC “The startup was founded by Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe in 2025, and has since raised over $1 billion in financing.” Read at The Verge ↗ TechCrunchN “Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, Eclipse, Kleiner Perkins and the venture arms of Volkswagen and Salesforce” Read at TechCrunch ↗
Mixed · 2The company says it is building robots for industrial work, designed with “dexterity and physical reasoning”, running on foundation models; it has not shown a robot publicly, has 32 open positions, and has not confirmed whether it is building a humanoid design. The VergeLC “While the company has yet to show off any of its robots in public”“Mind Robotics hasn’t confirmed whether it’s working on a humanoid design or something else entirely.” Read at The Verge ↗ TechCrunchN “The purpose-built robots will run on foundation models” Read at TechCrunch ↗ Centre · 1TechCrunch quotes Scaringe as saying Mind Robotics will not try to mimic all the biomechanics of a human, unlike the humanoid-like robots Tesla and others are developing. TechCrunchN “Unlike the humanoid-like robots being developed by Tesla and others, Scaringe says Mind Robotics won’t attempt to mimic all the biomechanics of a human.” Read at TechCrunch ↗ Mixed · 2The company remains tied to Rivian, which is its first customer, provides AI training data and a factory for testing, and owned about a third of the startup as of 30 June 2026, according to TechCrunch; Scaringe is acting CEO and chair and says he wants to keep the companies separate. The VergeLC “Mind Robotics is using AI training data from Rivian, and the robots will be initially tested in Rivian’s factories.”“Scaringe, who serves as acting CEO and chair of Mind Robotics, has said he wants to keep the companies separate” Read at The Verge ↗ TechCrunchN “The company reported owning about a third of each startup as of June 30, 2026.” Read at TechCrunch ↗
Mixed · 2Scaringe said he is excited to build Mind with Field, citing his record of delivering new technologies; Field called integrating AI and robotics one of the most important and difficult engineering challenges of our time and said he wants to help “redefine what we can make in America”. The VergeLC “Doug is a remarkable leader with a track record of delivering new technologies in successful products” Read at The Verge ↗ TechCrunchN “Integrating AI and robotics is one of the most important–and difficult–engineering challenges of our time” Read at TechCrunch ↗ Centre · 1Mind Robotics is the second company Scaringe has spun out of Rivian, after micromobility firm Also, which is run day to day by Chris Yu, formerly of Specialized. TechCrunchN “Mind Robotics is the second company that Scaringe spun out of Rivian, following Also, a micromobility play that’s starting with high-end e-bikes.”“Chris Yu, the former chief product officer of Specialized” Read at TechCrunch ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- The Verge presents the hire as a coup for a secretive startup and places it within the broader physical-AI and humanoid robotics race.
- Emphasis
- Field's career path, the lack of any public robot demo, hurdles in scaling robotics, and Mind's ties to Rivian.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not name investors or Rivian's roughly one-third stake, or the Disrupt announcement.
- Charged language
- “major coup”“secretive robotics startup”“ultimately unsuccessful”
- For example
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“in a major coup for the EV company’s secretive robotics startup” — The Verge
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- TechCrunch frames it as a sign that Mind Robotics is preparing to scale, announced at its Disrupt event, with a profile of Field's career.
- Emphasis
- Division of roles between Field and Scaringe, investors, Rivian's stake, the Also spinoff, and Scaringe's account of recruiting Field.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the 32 open positions or that Mind has yet to show its robots publicly.
- Charged language
- “production hell”
- For example
-
“is another sign that Mind Robotics is getting ready to scale up its early operations just one year after its founding” — TechCrunch
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Doug Field has been named president of Mind Robotics, a Rivian spinoff founded by RJ Scaringe.
- Mind Robotics has raised more than $1 billion.
- Rivian is Mind Robotics' first customer and a source of training data and factory testing.
- Field previously led Ford's EV division and Apple's Project Titan and worked on the Tesla Model 3.
Where accounts differ
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Field's Tesla title
- Left
- The Verge: chief vehicle engineer who helped oversee the Model 3.
- Centre
- TechCrunch: senior vice president of engineering who oversaw development of the Model 3.
Mind Robotics organisation
Says Field will oversee its effort to build “universally capable robots” for factories, and that it can learn inside a real, high-volume Rivian factory from day one.
“Field will oversee its effort to build “universally capable robots” for the purpose of working in Rivian’s factories” — The Verge
Doug Field person
Describes joining as taking on a major engineering challenge and wanting to build a team, culture and technology in the US.
“I’m thrilled to join RJ in building a team, culture, and technology that will redefine what we can make in America.” — TechCrunch
Rivian organisation
Is Mind Robotics' first customer and holds a minority stake of about a third; Scaringe says the companies are to remain separate.
“Mind Robotics and Also operate as standalone companies, but Rivian has minority stakes in both.” — TechCrunch
Left1 article
-
Rivian spinoff Mind Robotics hires Doug Field as president
Mixed Treats the hire as a coup while noting open questions: no public robot, unconfirmed humanoid design, and industry hurdles.
Centre2 articles
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Rivian spinoff Mind Robotics hires former Ford EV chief Doug Field
Neutral Straightforward announcement report with background on Field, funding, Rivian's stake and Scaringe's remarks at Disrupt.
-
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 13 Oct 19:30 First The VergeLC Rivian spinoff Mind Robotics hires Doug Field as president
- 13 Oct 19:30 First TechCrunchN Rivian spinoff Mind Robotics hires former Ford EV chief Doug Field
- 13 Oct 19:30 First TechCrunchN Rivian’s startup Mind Robotics hires former Ford EV chief Doug Field
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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