Here is something interesting for you. Insiders of giant automobile company Tesla claim CEO Elon Musk has his Full Self-Driving optimized for routes he personally takes as well as those frequented by high-profile Tesla FSD content creators. This information could explain the notable discrepancies in the system’s performance reported by various users.
It is reported that Elon Musk has been praising Tesla’s self-driving technology, particularly the FSD Beta system, urging people to try it or watch online video to witness it’s capabilities. However, discrepancies between the polished experiences shared by influencers and the more erratic performance reported by everyday users have raised suspicions.
According to a report by Business Insider, current and former Tesla employees have disclosed that Tesla’s self-driving neural nets were specifically optimized for routes taken by Musk and select influencers who produce FSD content. The report is based on conversations with over a dozen employees, who mostly spoke under the condition of anonymity.
BI spoke with over a dozen current and former Tesla employees, all but one who spoke on condition of anonymity, who said images and video clips from Musk’s Teslas received meticulous scrutiny, while data from high-profile drivers like YouTubers received “VIP” treatment in identifying and addressing issues with the Full Self-Driving software. The result is that Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD software may better navigate routes taken by Musk and other high-profile drivers, making their rides smoother and more straightforward.
The reports also claims that data annotators, who are responsible for reviewing clips from Tesla vehicles to train its self-driving neural nets, were reportedly instructed to prioritize routes around Tesla, SpaceX , Twitter locations, and a mansion previously owned by Musk. This focused would undoubtedly result in Musk having a batter experience with Tesla FSD than the average Tesla driver.
A former Tesla employee expressed concerns about this practice:
“It seemed like we were purposely making his car better to make Autopilot look different than it was. It felt dishonest.”
The report also claims that Tesla prioritized routes taken by Tesla FSD influencers. While it was known that Tesla sent internal test vehicles on these routes, the new report suggests that data annotators gave these routes special attention.
But now the report claims that those were also given priority by data annotators:
These videos do not go unnoticed by Tesla staff. In fact, the company created a system to prioritize data from drivers most likely to share their experience online, three current and former workers with direct knowledge of the issue told BI. These drivers are internally referred to as “VIP” users and their data is at times put in VIP queues, according to the workers.
Some employees defended this approach, arguing that content creators push the system to its limits, which helps in training the neural nets. However, this practice also results in influencers enjoying a better FSD experience than the average user.
As Tesla continues to develop its FSD technology, these revelations highlight the importance of transparency and fairness in its implementation. The company’s approach to optimization will likely be scrutinized as it strives to make self-driving technology more reliable and accessible for all users.
