US Watchdog Wants Clarification From Tesla About AI

The US road safety regulator NHTSA wants to know whether Tesla plans to abolish a warning about the carmaker’s self-driving system. CEO Elon Musk tweeted about it.

The FSD system is currently being tested by Tesla itself. Tesla owners can sign up for that test and then use the system’s extra options. But officially, they still have to remain alert because the FSD system has not been approved to drive completely autonomously.

This is monitored by a camera aimed at the driver, and drivers must also confirm that they keep their hands on the wheel every so often.

Musk responded positively on Dec. 31 to another Twitterer’s suggestion that Tesla owners driving more than 10,000 miles with FSD should stop getting those repeated warnings. The Tesla CEO then announced that this change would be implemented in a January update.

Because of that tweet, NHTSA became aware of the change and is now asking for clarification. The watchdog has been investigating the safety of Tesla’s self-driving system for some time.