Apple and Tesla – WWDC 2024 Recap

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With the announcement of Apple’s focus on AI in iOS 18 at WWDC Monday, there has been a flurry of interesting news items.

From Elon Musk mentioning that Apple devices may be banned at his companies due to the integration of AI, to Apple allowing developers to add functions to the Control Center, and Musk confirming once again that Tesla has no intentions to produce a phone, it was a busy day.

Control Center

Also at WWDC, Apple showed off an updated Control Center – the swipe-down control menu on iOS. As of iOS 18, third-party developers will now be able to create buttons to add to Control Center.

This is a pretty neat feature and could make it even easier to manage your Tesla from Apple devices. You could soon be able to control the climate or begin charging your Tesla without even opening the app.

You can already do some of these things using Siri Shortcuts, but this could be the granular integration needed to control specific items with even more detail, rather than just simple routines.

Tesla typically launches new features on its iOS app first, and Android devices a few days or weeks later. An excellent example of this is Ultra Wideband support, which came to Apple devices first.

Banning Apple Devices

At WWDC, Apple showed off new AI integration in its OS, which allows users to leverage OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Elon Musk mentioned that this is a massive security concern on a post on X, and he said he may ban the presence of Apple’s devices at his companies.

Tesla App Lead Alex Guichet asked on X if this was any different than Gemini integration on Android – which Google has already announced and begun to roll out to customers in select markets. If you’re in Canada or the United States, you can replace your current Google Assistant with Gemini, which provides a similar level of system integration to Apple.

Since Musk’s initial reaction to Apple’s integration of AI and partnership with OpenAI, Musk’s concerns appear to have eased. Numerous users clarified that Apple is building its own AI, and Apple will not hand over information to OpenAI unless users explicitly confirm they want to do so.

Musk Denies Tesla Phone

Elon Musk has confirmed that even with his potential ban on Apple devices, he is not interested in building a Tesla phone. A Tesla phone has previously been mentioned, and Elon Musk had previously shown interest in the idea, but has also shot it down numerous times over the years.

With this final confirmation, it’s pretty clear that we won’t be expecting a Tesla phone anytime in the future. SpaceX has been working on integrating Starlink cell-to-satellite messaging, calling, and data to existing phones, so we could see further integration in a different way one day.

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What’s Coming Next in Tesla FSD V14

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With FSD V13.2.6 continuing to make its way to AI4 vehicles, Tesla has been on a streak with minor FSD improvements since the launch of FSD V13 just a little over two months ago. 

FSD V13 brought a new slate of features, including Start FSD from Park, Reverse, and Park at Destination. It also introduced full-resolution video input using the AI4 cameras at 36hz and made use of the new Cortex supercomputer to get faster and more accurate decision-making.

So, what’s next with FSD V14? Tesla gave us a sneak peek at what’s next for FSD.

FSD V14

The standout feature of FSD V14 will be auto-regressive transformers. While that’s a complex term for those unfamiliar with AI or machine learning, we’ll break it down.

Auto-Regressive

An auto-regressive transformer processes sequential data in time, using that information to predict future elements based on previous ones. Imagine completing a sentence: You use the words already written to guess what comes next. This process isn't just about filling in the blank; it's about understanding the flow of the sentence and anticipating the speaker's intent.

FSD could analyze a sequence of camera images to identify pedestrians and predict their likely path based on their current movement and surrounding context. The system's auto-regressive nature allows it to learn from past sequences and improve its predictions over time, adapting to different driving scenarios.

Today, FSD reacts to what it sees, but soon it’ll be able to anticipate what will help, much like humans.

Transformers

The second part of that term is transformer, which is a component used to understand the relationships of elements inside a time sequence. It identifies which parts of the input are most crucial for making accurate predictions, allowing the system to prioritize information much like a human would. Think of it as weighing different pieces of evidence to arrive at a conclusion. For example, a transformer might recognize that a blinking turn signal is more important than the color of the car when predicting a lane change.

Putting It Together

Putting all that together, Tesla’s use of auto-regressive transformers means they’ll be working on how FSD can predict the plans and paths of the world around it. This will improve FSD’s already powerful perception and allow it to predict how other vehicles and vulnerable road users (VRUs) will behave.

What it all comes down to is that FSD will be able to make better decisions and plan its paths by making more informed, human-like decisions. That will be a big step towards improving V13 - which already has some very effective decision-making.

Larger Model and Audio Input

Tesla stated that FSD V14 will see larger model and context sizes, which coincidentally are listed in the upcoming improvements section of FSD V13.2.6.

Interestingly, Tesla says that context size is restricted by AI4’s memory, so it’ll need to be optimized. Tesla is already gathering audio data, and FSD V14 will be the first version to take advantage of it.

FSD V14 Release Date

We haven’t heard from Elon Musk or Ashok Elluswamy (Tesla’s VP of AI) about when FSD V14 will arrive. Ashok previously stated that FSD V13.4 would see audio inputs being used, but at Tesla’s earnings call, Musk said that audio input would become relevant in V14. It seems like Tesla may have scrapped V13.4 for V14.

Since Tesla is planning to launch their Robotaxi network in Texas this June, FSD V14 may be the version used for their autonomous taxi fleet.

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Want to See the New Tesla Model Y? Here's Where It’s on Display

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Tesla’s refreshed Model Y has started hitting display and Tesla showrooms across North America and Europe, where you can now get up close and personal with the new Model Y and all of its improvements, including the smallest of details.

The refreshed Model Y surprised all of us by sporting its own unique look instead of just being a stretched-out Model 3. While it’s available to order now through the Launch Edition, which includes FSD and Acceleration Boost, deliveries won’t start for another couple of months.

The new front light bar and rear indirect lights make the vehicle unique and worth checking out. There are plenty of new items to check out in the updated interior as well, including new door panels, powered rear seats, and more.

Here’s where you can check out the new Model Y in North America and Europe:

North America

In North America, the updated Model Y can be seen in 19 showrooms across the United States and Canada. The photo below shows the 17 locations in the U.S. and two in Canada. We expect this list to grow as Tesla produces more vehicles and we get closer to the official launch.

New Model Y Displays in North America

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Europe

In Europe, the Model Y is already on permanent display at two locations - the Mall of Berlin in Germany, and at Tesla’s Amsterdam Europe Headquarters - both publically accessible. If you’re in the area, definitely drop by and take a look.

Tesla is also holding special events throughout Europe where they’ll be showing the new Model Y through select dates. place to check if you’re far away from the ones above is on Tesla’s Events List.

We recommend checking Tesla’s page to confirm any dates, as Tesla will be adding new locations until each showroom receives its permanent display vehicles.

Tesla will also be visiting major auto shows, including the Toronto and New York International Auto Shows with the new Model Y - so keep an eye out for those events as well.

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