Over the weekend Tesla started pushing the Full Self-Driving Beta 10.11 update to employees, which includes several key improvements for the semi-autonomous driving system. This new version of the software could potentially roll out to drivers with safety scores of 95 and above if no substantial errors were to be found, Elon Musk suggested via Twitter.
Among the highlights of the new 10.11 release version are more accurate predictions of where vehicles are turning or merging and an improved right-of-way understanding if the map is inaccurate or the car cannot follow the navigation, as well as improved smoothness through turns.
Tesla’s approach to testing their autonomous driving system on real world streets using their own customers instead of trained drivers has drawn a lot of criticism over the last few months, but also a lot of praise from users who have been eager to test these features after purchasing a Full Self-Driving package at a high price.
Lowering the threshold for access to allow drivers with safety scores of 95 will undoubtedly result in a wider range of Tesla users joining the FSD Beta program, some of which have been complaining about the challenges arising from the use of the safety score system, particularly the real life impracticability of obtaining top score ratings.
In the beginning of their more public rollout phase Tesla offered the FSD Beta to drivers who had a score of 100, and over time it lowered this threshold to take in customers with scores as low as 97. According to a previous statement made by Elon Musk, Tesla will continue to decrease the score required to have access to the beta software over time.
This decision to widen the test pool for the FSD Beta seems also very timely given the recent removal by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the requirement for manual controls in fully autonomous vehicles, in what seems to be a very exciting development in the landscape for the fully autonomous vehicles industry.
The agency has stated that "for vehicles designed to be solely operated by an automated driving system (ADS), manually operated driving controls are logically unnecessary," in response to a request from General Motors.
According to the latest data available, there are around 60,000 customers enrolled in the FSD Beta program in the US alone, while Canadian owners just started to receive access to the driver safety score about a week ago. Tesla is expected to begin the release to Canadian drivers with top scores soon.
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Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's Vice President of Autopilot and AI Software, recently discussed Tesla's artificial intelligence programs' current state and future ambitions. He covered FSD and then extended it to the broader topics of robotics and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
Journey to Truly Autonomous Driving
At the core of Tesla’s AI efforts lies the quest for fully autonomous vehicles. Ashok reiterated the long-term vision where, eventually, all newly manufactured cars are expected to be self-driving, with older, human-driven cars potentially becoming items for specialized hobbies or unique purposes.
However, he did acknowledge that the current advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including Tesla’s own FSD, require better reliability before the human can be completely removed from the equation.
The development process, he emphasized, is fundamentally rooted in machine learning rather than traditional programming. A crucial aspect of this is that AI is consistent across every vehicle, learning collectively from the fleet’s experiences rather than being unique to each car.
Progress in AI is continuous.
Safety and reliability remain Tesla’s focus for FSD. Now, with Tesla just weeks away from launching its Robotaxi Network in Austin, Texas, this is more true than ever, as any accidents could cause a delay in the program’s expansion or stop the program entirely.
No LiDAR
Ashok confirmed that Tesla still has no interest in LiDAR while discussing Tesla's vision-based sensor suite. He reiterated that cost and scalability remain key concerns with LiDAR, adding that its perceived usefulness diminishes as vision-based systems continue to improve.
Beyond the Road: FSD and Robotics
Ashok described Tesla’s AI network poetically - a “digital living being.” This emphasizes the organic way FSD absorbs information from the environment and learns from it. But FSD isn’t just for cars. Tesla uses FSD, as well as the same AI4 hardware from its vehicles, for its humanoid robot, Optimus.
Ashok expects that there will be a tremendous wave in robotics over the next 10 to 20 years. A key part of this will be the development of humanoid robots, which he believes will eventually be capable of complex industrial and domestic tasks, interacting with natural language, likely by 2035.
This recent surge in AI capabilities has been heavily driven by advancements in deep learning and the availability of massive computing power. Tesla is making heavy investments in both software and hardware. It recently started construction of its Cortex 2.0 Supercomputer cluster at Giga Texas.
Envisioning Sustainable Abundance & AGI
The conversation also covered the topics of Artificial General Intelligence. Ashok offered a pretty bold prediction that AGI will arrive in as little as the next 10 years, based on the rate of advancement that he’s seen so far. He further projected that AI-based software could become capable of performing most human tasks, whether spreadsheets or even robotic athletics, within the next 15 years.
This technological leap, he believes, ties into Tesla’s newer mission statement of sustainable abundance. Sustainable abundance is where the combination of intelligent machines and effective robotics helps to move greater portions of society away from poverty. This has become Tesla’s guiding philosophy since the 2025 All-Hands Meeting earlier this year.
Sustainable abundance should be a win-win scenario for all involved, helping reshape both production and creative industries to help humans do what they want to do rather than what they have to do.
Future of Mobility
As FSD and other AGI tech mature, Ashok believes that all cars being manufactured by 2035 will become autonomous. By then, the very concept of car ownership may change and transform. Owning a car would be a more “premium experience,” as the convenience and efficiency of self-driving vehicles might make personal ownership less of a necessity for many people. This shift would also necessitate infrastructure improvements to accommodate potentially increased vehicle usage.
We took a look at what the future may look like when autonomous vehicles become commonplace. It’ll have a drastic effect on our society, as parking lots will need to be a fraction of the size they are today, drop-off and loading zones will need to be bigger, and, for the most part, road signs may no longer be needed.
Will need this big time in the future. With autonomous vehicles we'll have affordable premium transport for everyone. This will likely increase traffic due to the increased usage, even though each vehicle is much more efficiently utilized. https://t.co/xvdvmxmzxd
Touching on the Indian vehicle market, Ashok noted that EVs, especially when combined with technologies like FSD, are well suited to the typical travel patterns in India and could make a big difference. With Tesla putting its eyes on a potential factory expansion in the coming years in India, there’s a lot riding on Tesla being able to take on the challenge of Indian roadways, where traffic laws are not enforced and well known.
Ashok’s interview was a fantastic look into what he believes will be next for Tesla - and he left with some parting advice for the next generation of engineers.
Master core concepts and leverage the wealth of online resources available. There is an emphasis on talent and innovation over traditional corporate hierarchies, and don’t forget your priorities: work and family.
You can watch the full interview here. Closed captioning is available.
This morning, Tesla announced the appointment of Jack Hartung, President and former Chief Financial Officer of Chipotle Mexican Grill, to its Board of Directors. Jack will join the board on June 1st of this year and will also serve on Tesla’s Audit Committee.
Hartung brings over two decades of financial leadership experience to Tesla’s board. During his tenure at Chipotle, he held several leadership positions, including President and Chief Strategy Officer, as well as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer. Under his financial stewardship, Chipotle expanded immensely, now operating over 3,700 restaurants worldwide.
In addition to his new role at Tesla, Hartung serves on the Boards of Portillo’s Inc., The Honest Company, Inc., and ZocDoc, Inc.
Interestingly, Hartung has opted to forgo any cash or equity compensation for his role on Tesla’s board.
Tesla’s board now comprises nine members, including Chair Robyn Denholm, CEO Elon Musk, his brother Kimbal Musk, and Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia.
Areas of Interest
Hartung joins Tesla as it works through regulatory challenges in Europe around FSD, although it seems like Europe will finally see FSD introduced this September, at least on the highway.
Given Jack’s experience in the food sector, it’ll also be interesting to see whether he offers input on Tesla’s upcoming drive-in diner and whether the company expands the concept beyond a one-off Supercharger. We recently shared exclusive photos of the interior of the project, which appears to be in the final stages of construction.
Hartung’s experience in scaling operations may also be crucial during Tesla’s expansion of the Robotaxi network when it begins expanding outside of Austin, Texas.
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