Driverless Robotaxis

Tesla is launching its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in June of 2025. The service will feature autonomous (driverless) Model Y vehicles operating within geofenced areas and under human teleoperation. This means that, like your Roomba, the vehicles have designated areas they can to operate in. They will be under the supervision of an employee in an offsite location. Tesla say’s they have begun testing driverless robotaxis in Austin ahead of June 12 launch. Elon Musk posted on his X account: “For the past several days, Tesla has been testing self-driving Model Y cars (no one in driver’s seat) on Austin public streets with no incidents,”

🚨 Safety and Transparency Concerns

For me, there are several concerns. First off, Tesla’s version of autonomous driving relies solely on cameras and AI. It does not include certain safety layers like radar and lidar used by competitors such as Waymo. This Camera / AI approach raises concerns about the system’s ability to handle unpredictable scenarios, especially in adverse weather conditions. And what if camera views become obscured? Will the taxi be able to navigate? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has asked Tesla to explain how robotaxis will handle these situations. Additionally, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software has been linked to multiple accidents and fatalities, prompting further scrutiny.

🧠 Ethical and Legal Implications

Tesla’s robotaxi service also raises ethical and legal questions. For instance, Studies have shown that driverless vehicle systems are less effective at recognizing darker-skinned individuals. This raises concerns about potential biases in Tesla’s AI. And in the event of an accident, who is responsible? Does responsiblity lie with the vehicle owner, Tesla, or the AI developer? Tesla’s vehicles also collect vast amounts of data, bringing up concerns about privacy. Specifically, how are they using and protecting this information? And Elon Musk has proven that he is not the most trusted individual of the general public. They may not want to give their information to a company controlled by him.

📉 Economic and Labor Impact

The introduction of autonomous vehicles could mean loss of employment in driving professions. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in 2019, over two million individuals were employed as tractor-trailer truck drivers. Also, approximately 370,400 were employed as taxi and delivery drivers, and over 680,000 as bus drivers. Collectively, this could amount to a loss of nearly 2.9 million jobs. So as the service expands, professional drivers will find themselves looking for a new job.