Elon Musk Suggests Rivals May Sabotage Tesla’s Self-Driving Push
Austin, TX – October 23, 2024 - Tesla CEO Elon Musk alleged Wednesday that competitors may actively attempt to hinder the rollout of the company’s full self-driving (FSD) technology, potentially jeopardizing his path to becoming a trillionaire. The claim emerged during Tesla’s third quarter earnings call, as the company increasingly pivots toward artificial intelligence adn robotics following the expiration of federal EV tax credits and anticipated impacts on vehicle delivery numbers.
Musk expressed confidence in achieving “unsupervised full self-driving at a safety level much greater than any human,” and stated he now feels confident in expanding Tesla’s production as fast as possible. However, he also suggested external forces could intervene.
“It might get bored,” Musk said, referencing the potential for advanced AI, but also alluding to potential sabotage.
Tesla is aiming to remove safety drivers from its robotaxi service “at least in large parts of Austin by the end of this year,” and plans to expand operations to eight to ten metro areas, including Nevada, Florida and Arizona, by year-end. New markets will initially include safety monitors for at least three months. The company currently operates robotaxis in Austin and San Francisco, but the service has faced regulatory scrutiny and legal challenges.
The announcement comes as competition in the autonomous vehicle space intensifies. General Motors unveiled plans to debut ”eyes-off” electric vehicles by 2028,receiving positive investor reaction. Waymo is currently operational in five metro areas with plans for five more.
Musk asserted that Tesla possesses “the highest intelligence density,” claiming its AI is “probably an order of magnitude better than anyone else” when considering intelligence per gigabyte. He also predicted tesla’s autonomous vehicles will excel at tasks like identifying empty parking spaces due to their 360-degree vision and advanced intelligence.
