Tesla’s supportive autopilot and the independently controlling “Full Self Driving” mode have occupied US authorities for some time. For the Super Bowl, a critic of the technology published a commercial with serious allegations: Tesla boss Elon Musk would endanger public safety.
Elon Musk sent three tweets during the Super Bowl: a reference to the halftime show with Rihanna, a message of support for the Philadelphia Eagles, who lost 35:38 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the final seconds of the NFL final – and per Retweeted by Twitter’s official marketing account, thank you to all the advertisers who courted attention around the football spectacle via the messaging platform. This also includes Dan O’Dowd and the “The Dawn Project” he founded – who launches a frontal attack and serious allegations against Tesla in a 30-second commercial. The advertising space around the Super Bowl is among the most expensive ever.
The advertisement shows the Tesla Model 3, which is said to be in “Full Self Driving” mode (FSD), i.e. the autonomously driving and controlling autopilot. This FSD runs over a child-sized dummy at a crosswalk, rams a baby doll in a stroller, suddenly steers into oncoming traffic, ignores stop signals on a school bus and “no entry” signs. The conclusion of the spot: “Tesla’s full self-driving is a danger to the general public” due to “deceptive marketing and worryingly inept technology”.
The US news channel CNN reports that O’Dowd has already invested several million dollars to take action against Tesla and founded “The Dawn Project” with the aim of making computer-controlled and automated systems safer for mankind. Tesla in particular is therefore the target of his attacks again and again because he wants to have FSD banned. According to CNN, a spokesman for the organization said that the Super Bowl spot alone cost $598,000 (around €560,000). It was played in Washington D.C., in Austin/Texas, in Tallahassee/Florida, in Albany/New York, in Atlanta/Georgia and in Sacramento/California.
According to CNN, “Full Self Driving” is currently officially in beta testing, but can be purchased for $15,000 by any Tesla owner in North America. While the autopilot offers a range of driving aids, FSD should be able to drive through cities completely independently and, for example, stop at traffic lights and make turns. So far, according to the report, there is no car on the market that drives completely independently.
According to a statement, O’Dowd sees “a major threat to public safety” in “Tesla’s irresponsible use of ‘Full Self Driving’ on public roads”. Musk has released software that “runs over children, steers into oncoming vehicles and hits a baby in a stroller.” He is therefore convinced that the technology should be banned – and even ran for the US Senate in California, but without success. With the ad, O’Dowd is also addressing the NTHSA, the “National Highway Traffic Safety Administration”, the US federal agency for road and vehicle safety.
According to CNN, the NHTSA has been dealing with Tesla’s FSD for a long time and announced last summer that it would carry out a detailed analysis of the technology. According to reports, a ban is even in the air, should this investigation reveal that the technology is not working reliably enough. The triggers were accidents that happened while the autopilot was in use. Tesla itself announced in late January that the Justice Department had “requested documents related to Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD capabilities.” According to mashable.com, it is also about the suspicion that Tesla claims that its cars can drive themselves, although they are actually not able to do so.
(This article was first published on Monday, February 13, 2023.)
