Report: Whistleblower Says Tesla Self-Driving Cars Unsafe for Roads
According to Lukasz Krupski, a former employee of Tesla, the technology behind the electric car company's self-driving vehicles isn't safe enough to be used on public roads....
Facts
- According to Lukasz Krupski, a former employee of Tesla, the technology behind the electric car company's self-driving vehicles isn't safe enough to be used on public roads.1
- In an interview, Krupski stated that he thinks that it's important to call out to these issues because, as he put it, 'it affects all of us ... we are all essentially experiments [on] public roads.' He continued, saying that even those without Teslas are affected because: 'children still walk on the footpath.'2
- Despite the branding of Tesla’s autopilot feature, the mode still requires a driver to keep their hands on the wheel in order to assist with steering and parking.1
- Before being fired by the company, Krupski, who was part of a team that prepared Tesla vehicles for buyers, turned over company data, including accident reports and customer complaints, to the German business newspaper Handelsblatt.3
- Elon Musk's company has faced scrutiny over its assisted driving feature, with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) currently investigating the program.4
- Krupski was on Tuesday awarded the prestigious Blueprint for Free Speech Whistleblowing Award for his efforts to bring Tesla's security issues to the public's attention.5
Sources: 1BBC News, 2INews, 3Ars Technica, 4Independent and 5Silicon.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by Business Insider. These accusations are preposterous. Tesla possesses, by far, the most advanced real-world AI. This so-called whistleblower is just a disgruntled former employee trying to get his pound of flesh after being dismissed, for cause, from the company.
- Narrative B, as provided by ReadWrite. Tesla can deny there are issues with its AI, but the leaked data reveals the reality. Not only should Tesla take this whistleblower’s actions as a warning to get its act together, but all manufacturers using AI and related technologies have to do a better job of safety testing and quality control if they want consumers to trust them.
