Andrej Karpathy took to Twitter to announce he's leaving Tesla. The 35-year-old was the senior director of artificial intelligence and was a key part of the Autopilot team.
He did not explain why he was going; instead, he praised his team's work on Autopilot's development.
The tweet reads: It's been a great pleasure to help Tesla towards its goals over the last 5 years and a difficult decision to part ways. In that time, Autopilot graduated from lane keeping to city streets, and I look forward to seeing the exceptionally strong Autopilot team continue that momentum.
Elon Musk responded to his tweet: Thanks for everything you have done for Tesla! It has been an honor working with you.
Within minutes of these tweets, media outlets and industry observers started to speculate about the future of Tesla's FSD. Karpathy was a significant part of the team tasked with improving FSD and making it available to every Tesla owner in North America by the end of 2022.
Just 35 minutes after he tweeted he was leaving, he addressed the gossip with another tweet. It reads: Important to keep in mind that the Autopilot team is hundreds of strong engineers who very much know what they're doing, just don't have my public visibility. I was only one part of that effort, and I think get an outsized spotlight cast on me because I do.
Karpathy, a Ph.D. from Stanford University, was on a four-month sabbatical. His departure comes just days after Tesla closed its San Mateo, California office laying off 229 data annotation employees who were part of the Autopilot team. The layoffs were expected after Musk announced a hiring freeze and a 10 percent workforce cut in June.
Andrej says he doesn't have any plans for what he'll do next, but that he plans to spend additional time with his passions of AI, open source and education.
Whole Mars Catalog, among others, questioned how significant Karpathy's departure was to the company. "It's not bullish, but people are vastly overblowing it," tweeted Whole Mars Catalog. "Elon knew this would happen and that's why he started highlighting in early 2021 that Ashok (Elluswamy) was the lead on Autopilot software, not Andrej."
Nobody stays forever. Life goes on.
Elluswamy was hired as the team director of Autopilot in 2015. At the time of his hiring, Musk said he was the first person recruited for the Autopilot team.
Andrej during Tesla's AI Day
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As part of a recent update to the Tesla App, Tesla has added some slick new user interfaces to the Service and Roadside sections of the app. These new interfaces allow you to easily select the areas that are damaged or need attention.
These new screens in the service and roadside menus have been available in North America since at least late August, but appear to be rolling out to more users.
For now, it also appears to be restricted to the Model 3 (both original and 2024 Highland refresh), as well as the Model Y. The Model S and X, both redesigned or legacy - do not appear to have this new service menu just yet. The Cybertruck is the same - no unique service menu for it just yet, either.
Exterior Select Screen
In order to see this new screen, you can open up your Model 3 or Model Y’s service menu in the Tesla app. From there, you can select “Exterior” as the area of concern. Once there, you’ll be greeted with a short tutorial that will show you through the new interface.
Instead of having to type your areas of concern which could be ambiguous, this new interface makes it easy to select the affected areas. Just swipe left/right to view the car from different angles and tap the area that needs service.
Areas you select become highlighted in blue, and once you’re done selecting all of them, you can provide notes to each particular area. You can even select areas under the vehicle, like the front aero shield or center skid plate.
While most glass is selectable here, the windshield and top glass areas are a separate option in the service menu under Collision and Glass > Glass & Windows. However, windshield wipers in the second last visualization - Top.
Tire Select Screen
The Tire/Wheel Select Menu
Not a Tesla App
Similar to the Exterior and Glass screens, you can open the service menu and then select Tires & Wheels as your area of concern. You’ll have two sets of options here.
You can either go to Wheels > Wheel Damage; or Tires > Replacement Tires. Here, you’ll be able to identify specific wheels or tires for service as required.
The app's roadside section offers a similar tire view, which lets you select which tire is flat.
Thanks to its app and mobile service, Tesla has been providing one of the best service experiences in the industry. While they still have work to do regarding part availability and reasonable wait times, their technology and simplicity continue to impress. We’re excited to see what improvements they’ll make next.
Tesla and Uber are partnering to offer a new discount for Uber drivers. The offer is similar to one that was offered earlier in the year. Uber and Tesla previously offered a $2,000 USD purchase incentive under a special Uber referral code. That offer ended in March, and Tesla is now offering a new, similar offer.
Both the previous incentive as well as this new offer are only available in the United States.
Offer Conditions
The new offer is simple: If you’re an Uber Driver, you’ll be able to get $1,000 in Tesla credits upon taking delivery and another $1,000 in Uber Cash after completing 100 rideshare trips. You’ll need to purchase either a new Model 3 or Model Y—any variant, including the Performance versions, is acceptable. The program is not available for used or demo vehicles.
For anyone interested in trying out being an Uber driver, this is also a nice way to get $2,000 off a new Tesla. While the discount is no longer a purchase incentive, you can use the $1,000 in Tesla credits towards accessories, service, Supercharging, swag, or another vehicle. The Uber Cash, on the other hand, will be paid out alongside your 100th trip.
The offer is combinable with the Military Purchase Program, but you can’t use the Tesla referral program to get $500 off. If you’ve already got referral credits, though, you can use them toward the purchase of the vehicle.
Finally, you’ll need to take delivery before the end of the year (December 31st) and complete your 100th trip before February 15, 2025.
How to Use It
To take advantage of the offer, go to Tesla’s Uber page and log in via Uber. Both companies will verify that you’re eligible for the discount. You’ll also have to be in good standing as an Uber driver - if you’re not, no discount.
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