Photo: @MilMileBattery via X
As the FSD Beta V12.3 rolled out to customer vehicles, people can't stop raving about how good it is, driving for hours without disengagements. This, however, marks the most dangerous moment for the controversial driver assistance system, as more people will blindly trust that the FSD Beta will not fail them.
After years of promising full self-driving, Tesla finally appears to crack the elusive technology that would allow cars to drive autonomously. The FSD Beta V12, the first end-to-end AI variant, has been hyped as "mind-blowing" by Tesla CEL Elon Musk. Not that this means anything: Musk has been saying the same thing for all the major FSD Beta versions in recent years. However, as the FSD Beta V12 started rolling out to customer vehicles as V12.3, it has been unanimously praised for its human-like performance.
As videos and reviews were shared on social media, it became clear that Tesla was finally onto something with its self-driving software. Perhaps not close to the robotaxi level, but firmly on the path to achieve autonomous driving rather soon. Indeed, those who tried the new software build reported hours of autonomous driving without human intervention or disengagements. If the FSD Beta can control the car in various scenarios for hours without making mistakes, isn't it ready to perform without human supervision?
This discussion again surfaced in the Tesla circles after making rounds several times before. Tesla upset many of its loyal fans in 2023 when it clearly stated that Autopilot and FSD Beta were Level-2 driver assistance systems. This put Tesla's self-driving system below some Level-3 systems already certified in Europe and the US. However, people misunderstand what the different levels of autonomy mean. It's mostly not about capabilities. Instead, it's about responsibility and, ultimately, liability.
Tesla FSD could be far superior to the Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot, which can only work on pre-mapped highways and has many restrictions. However, the truth is that Mercedes-Benz takes responsibility for what happens while its systems control the car. This is what makes Drive Pilot a Level-3 autonomous driving system. Tesla's Full Self-Driving could do everything robotaxis do and then some without needing a human behind the wheel. Until Tesla says it pays for damages if an accident happens on FSD's watch, the self-driving software remains a Level-2 driver assist.
The thing is that FSD Beta is finally showing some tangible progress for the first time. This makes not only Tesla fans believe a breakthrough is imminent. However, this is more dangerous for those new to the system and even veteran FSD Beta testers. Some even believe that the accident rates for vehicles with FSD will increase sharply in the coming months, despite the system becoming technically safer.
FSD Beta V12.3, as revealed by many enthusiastic reviews, is so smooth and capable that it seems perfect. Some people have already used the new version to drive for several days in a row without having to intervene. When this happens, people believe the software is flawless and trust it will do the right thing in all situations, no matter what. They will be less likely to supervise the driving and will engage in other activities, losing sight of the road.
And if God forbid, something happens and FSD requires the driver to take over, they will likely be too surprised to realize what's going on. This could put people in dangerous situations, with precious moments wasted to assess the crisis instead of reacting to it. So far, the FSD Beta tester population has been steady for months, which means most are used to supervising FSD Beta. However, as more people hear about the new capabilities, new testers will get access to the software. This is always a recipe for disaster, which could lead to tragedies.
As videos and reviews were shared on social media, it became clear that Tesla was finally onto something with its self-driving software. Perhaps not close to the robotaxi level, but firmly on the path to achieve autonomous driving rather soon. Indeed, those who tried the new software build reported hours of autonomous driving without human intervention or disengagements. If the FSD Beta can control the car in various scenarios for hours without making mistakes, isn't it ready to perform without human supervision?
This discussion again surfaced in the Tesla circles after making rounds several times before. Tesla upset many of its loyal fans in 2023 when it clearly stated that Autopilot and FSD Beta were Level-2 driver assistance systems. This put Tesla's self-driving system below some Level-3 systems already certified in Europe and the US. However, people misunderstand what the different levels of autonomy mean. It's mostly not about capabilities. Instead, it's about responsibility and, ultimately, liability.
Tesla FSD could be far superior to the Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot, which can only work on pre-mapped highways and has many restrictions. However, the truth is that Mercedes-Benz takes responsibility for what happens while its systems control the car. This is what makes Drive Pilot a Level-3 autonomous driving system. Tesla's Full Self-Driving could do everything robotaxis do and then some without needing a human behind the wheel. Until Tesla says it pays for damages if an accident happens on FSD's watch, the self-driving software remains a Level-2 driver assist.
The thing is that FSD Beta is finally showing some tangible progress for the first time. This makes not only Tesla fans believe a breakthrough is imminent. However, this is more dangerous for those new to the system and even veteran FSD Beta testers. Some even believe that the accident rates for vehicles with FSD will increase sharply in the coming months, despite the system becoming technically safer.
FSD Beta V12.3, as revealed by many enthusiastic reviews, is so smooth and capable that it seems perfect. Some people have already used the new version to drive for several days in a row without having to intervene. When this happens, people believe the software is flawless and trust it will do the right thing in all situations, no matter what. They will be less likely to supervise the driving and will engage in other activities, losing sight of the road.
And if God forbid, something happens and FSD requires the driver to take over, they will likely be too surprised to realize what's going on. This could put people in dangerous situations, with precious moments wasted to assess the crisis instead of reacting to it. So far, the FSD Beta tester population has been steady for months, which means most are used to supervising FSD Beta. However, as more people hear about the new capabilities, new testers will get access to the software. This is always a recipe for disaster, which could lead to tragedies.
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