Ed Baker wasn't a skeptic. As a former Uber executive who helped build its self-driving program, he understood the promise of autonomy. That's why his 2026 account of his Tesla Model S, operating on Full Self-Driving mode, steering into a concrete median carries such force. He was the ideal user, yet he couldn't prevent the error.
Baker's experience underscores a central tension in Tesla's strategy. While companies like Waymo and Cruise use cameras supplemented by lidar and radar, Tesla bets everything on a camera-only system, arguing it mirrors human vision. Baker, and a chorus of engineers, counter that artificial intelligence doesn't fail like a person. A confused human might hesitate; a confused AI can act with catastrophic certainty.
The financial stakes are astronomical. Tesla's valuation incorporates a future dominated by robotaxis, a vision launched with the 2024 Cybercab reveal. Yet its core FSD technology remains a supervised system, sold to consumers for use in varied conditions—a stark contrast to the controlled fleets of competitors. This broad deployment generates valuable data but also public exposure to unpredictable 'edge cases,' like the road geometry that baffled Baker's car.
Regulatory scrutiny is intensifying. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains multiple investigations into Tesla's systems, citing hundreds of reported incidents. Tesla states its data shows safer driving with Autopilot engaged, though researchers note its comparison to overall driving statistics is flawed.
Baker's argument isn't against autonomy, but for a more measured path. He questions whether selling an ever-improving driver-assist feature directly to consumers, rather than managing a restricted service, aligns with public safety as the industry accelerates toward a driverless future. With Tesla aiming to expand its FSD reach and robotaxi ambitions, his insider's warning highlights a pivotal question: can the current approach bridge the gap between impressive demo and reliably safe reality before a more severe story unfolds?
Source: Webpronews