Tesla whistleblower casts doubt on car safety

[CharlieH]

 

A former Tesla employee has told the BBC he believes the technology powering the firm's self-driving vehicles is not safe enough to be used on public roads.

Lucasz Krupski leaked data, including customer complaints about Tesla's braking and self-driving software, to German newspaper Handelsblatt in May.

He said attempts to highlight his concerns internally had been ignored.

Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.

Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, has championed its self-driving technology.

"Tesla has by far the best real-world AI," Mr Musk said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday.

 

But, in his first UK interview, Mr Krupski told the BBC's technology editor, Zoe Kleinman, he was concerned about how AI was being used - to power Tesla's autopilot service.

Its autopilot feature, for example, includes assisted steering and parking - but, despite its name, it does still require someone in the driver's seat with their hands on the wheel.

"I don't think the hardware is ready and the software is ready," he said.

"It affects all of us because we are essentially experiments in public roads. So even if you don't have a Tesla, your children still walk in the footpath."

Mr Krupski said he had found evidence in company data which suggested that requirements relating to the safe operation of vehicles that had a certain level of autonomous or assistive-driving technology had not been followed.

He added that even Tesla employees had spoken to him about vehicles randomly braking in response to non-existent obstacles - known as "phantom braking". This also came up in the data he obtained around customer complaints.

 

Mr Krupski said he had felt compelled to share what he had found with data protection authorities.

 

FULL STORY

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4 hours ago, CharlieH said:

 

A former Tesla employee has told the BBC he believes the technology powering the firm's self-driving vehicles is not safe enough to be used on public roads.

Lucasz Krupski leaked data, including customer complaints about Tesla's braking and self-driving software, to German newspaper Handelsblatt in May.

He said attempts to highlight his concerns internally had been ignored.

Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.

Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, has championed its self-driving technology.

"Tesla has by far the best real-world AI," Mr Musk said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday.

 

But, in his first UK interview, Mr Krupski told the BBC's technology editor, Zoe Kleinman, he was concerned about how AI was being used - to power Tesla's autopilot service.

Its autopilot feature, for example, includes assisted steering and parking - but, despite its name, it does still require someone in the driver's seat with their hands on the wheel.

"I don't think the hardware is ready and the software is ready," he said.

"It affects all of us because we are essentially experiments in public roads. So even if you don't have a Tesla, your children still walk in the footpath."

Mr Krupski said he had found evidence in company data which suggested that requirements relating to the safe operation of vehicles that had a certain level of autonomous or assistive-driving technology had not been followed.

He added that even Tesla employees had spoken to him about vehicles randomly braking in response to non-existent obstacles - known as "phantom braking". This also came up in the data he obtained around customer complaints.

 

Mr Krupski said he had felt compelled to share what he had found with data protection authorities.

 

FULL STORY

As I recall, Musk opted out of using Lidar. That met with a lot of criticism.

[JonnyF]

Unusual to see the BBC singling out Musk lol.

 

Self driving tech is way off. Even my Toyota's anti collision system gets confused and slams the brakes on when I pull onto the road from a steep driveway entrance. It seems to think I am about to collide with the road.

 

The lane sway system pulls me back into objects I am avoiding on the hard shoulder. Apparently it's more important that I stay in my lane than avoid a family of 4 on a scooter.

 

It's way off. Especially for environments like Thailand. 

[Georgealbert]

53 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Unusual to see the BBC singling out Musk lol.

 

Self driving tech is way off. Even my Toyota's anti collision system gets confused and slams the brakes on when I pull onto the road from a steep driveway entrance. It seems to think I am about to collide with the road.

 

The lane sway system pulls me back into objects I am avoiding on the hard shoulder. Apparently it's more important that I stay in my lane than avoid a family of 4 on a scooter.

 

It's way off. Especially for environments like Thailand. 

Maybe this video will help, in how it should be used and how you can adjust settings.

 

It’s youtube, so I know you will believe it.

 

 

[Rimmer]

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[Danderman123]

The real problem is the Cybertruck. A really flawed vehicle.