The Verge – Waymo denies using remote drivers after Senate testimony went viral
The Verge reports that Waymo is still trying to hide that remove drivers in the Philippines are actually controlling the vehicles in some situations.
Robotaxi.news
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Robotaxi.news
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Untruths
The robotaxi companies have been more than just a bit misleading to both the public and the regulators. Untruths or downright lies? You decide…
Read MoreThe Verge – Waymo denies using remote drivers after Senate testimony went viral
Washington Post Editorial Board – The long view of self-driving cars
Washington Post Editorial Board publishes absolute nonsense on the safety of autonomous vehicles, in the hopes of minimizing safety regulations. The Washington Post used to be an important newspaper, but clearly no longer.
electrek – Tesla ‘Robotaxi’ status check: 8 months in, 19% availability, and all of Musk’s promises are missing
electrek fact checks Elon's statements on the alleged Tesla robotaxi service and finds that it is all just a bunch of lies.
Waymo = more work for humans
Waymo was stuck until an actual human could fully shut the door of the vehicle. Given that Waymo support can be all the way in the Philippines, they had to resort to getting a DoorDasher to do it.
electrek – Tesla’s own Robotaxi data confirms crash rate 3x worse than humans even with monitor
electrek reports that Tesla continues to try to hide as much as their safety data as possible, yet the data available still shows that they have a 3x crash rate compared to human drivers.
electrek – Tesla didn’t remove the Robotaxi ‘safety monitor’ – it just moved them to a trailing car
electrek reports on how Tesla robotaxis are still in no way automomous. Musk recently announced that Tesla would be operating service without a safety driver human in the car. Turns out the safety human is simply in another car following close behind. Just as the Tesla Optimus "robots" are simply teleoperated puppets, the Tesla robotaxis aren't actually autonomous. But hey, expect lots of BS at the earnings announcement on January 26 in order to keep the stock inflated as much as possible.
NY Times – The Robot Cars Have Come for the Kids
NY Times reports on how Waymo continues to flaunt California regulations and allows unattended minors to ride in Waymos.
NYT Opinion – The Data on Self-Driving Cars Is Clear. We Have to Change Course.
While the title is correct, we do need to change course, the opinion piece is just another tech fantasy. The truth is that the data show that the solution for safety is clearly better designed streets and better safety policies. Simply look at Europe to see how safety can be greatly improved through street design, not robotaxis.
Fast Company – Tesla’s ‘Robotaxi’ service is no Waymo
Fast Company reports on taking the Tesla "robotaxi" service in the Bay Area, and concludes that it simply isn't a real service. Limited availability, long wait times, and of course the human in the driver seat. Smoke and mirrors.
More Perfect Union – We Investigated Tesla’s Autopilot. It’s Scarier Than You Think
More Perfect Union presents a short but very compelling video on what a scam Tesla "Autopilot" and "Full-Self Driving" have always been. Well worth the watch.
Business Insider – The Tesla robotaxi app just dropped, and the waitlist is open to everyone
Business Insider reports that Tesla is resorting to more hype and has announced their robotaxi app for for the Bay Area. Note that there are no actual reports of the service existing and being used.
ABC7 News – VIDEO: Waymos stalled, confused in San Francisco as people climb, flip off from robotaxis
ABC7 News reports that once again Waymos are a target for people, especially drunk bros in the Marina District. Nothing new there. But the odd thing is that ABC7 News included short interview with Selika Josiah Talbott who unfortunately doesn't understand AI nor how AVs are trained.
electrek – The Tesla Autopilot lawsuit floodgates are open, lawyer who beat Tesla is going for round 2
electrek reports on how Tesla not lost the most recent trial to a tune of $243 million but they also tried to hide relevant data. They will likely fare even worse in the upcoming trial in California.
TechCrunch – Tesla shuts down Dojo, the AI training supercomputer that Musk said would be key to full self-driving
TechCrunch reports that all that talk by Elon Musk on how the Dojo AI supercomputer was going to be key to Tesla autonomous driving. Well, it turns out to be complete BS and the project has been shut down.
The Verge – The lawyer who beat Tesla is ready for ‘round two’
The Verge interviews the lawyer behind the $243 million award and discusses how this is just the start of a morass of legal problems for Tesla.
