The Dawn Project warns against Tesla's Cybertruck self-driving software

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Dec 04, 2023, 13:03 ET

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Software expert and founder of safety advocacy group The Dawn Project, Dan O'Dowd today issued a warning to prospective Cybertruck owners, arguing that the critical safety defects in Tesla's self-driving software, also available in the new Cybertruck, may present a danger to road users.

Amid concerns over the Cybertruck's appeal and production ramp-up, Dan O'Dowd warned that the serious flaws in Tesla's Full Self-Driving software will present a serious threat to public safety. Dan's comments follow recent statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which show that Tesla's self-driving software has been involved in 970 crashes, 27 of which involved at least one fatality.

Dan has been campaigning to draw attention to the safety defects in Tesla's Full Self-Driving software. With the launch of Tesla's largest vehicle to date, there are renewed fears over the safety of Tesla's self-driving software and its interaction with pedestrians and other road users.

Commenting on the Cybertruck's launch, Founder of The Dawn Project Dan O'Dowd said: "A Full Self-Driving Cybertruck is a three-ton AI-driven robot powered by software which has already resulted in at least 27 deaths.

"Elon Musk has claimed for nine years that Tesla is on the verge of solving autonomous driving. In that time, Tesla has released four new vehicles, powered by a Full Self-Driving software that often fails to obey basic traffic laws and can put lives at risk.

"The Cybertruck is the latest in a long line of flashy products Elon Musk has unveiled, chief among which is Tesla Full Self-Driving, which Elon constantly claims is "mind-blowing" and, according to him, is the basis for Tesla's entire valuation. In reality, the Cybertruck production difficulties of the past four years pale in comparison to Tesla's failure to solve autonomous driving. After nearly a decade of constant development and hype from Elon Musk, Tesla has been forced to start from scratch, with the forthcoming Full Self-Driving version 12 being an 'almost total rewrite'.

"Amid ongoing NHTSA, SEC and DoJ investigations into defects in Tesla's self-driving software, its inclusion in the new Cybertruck just makes things worse."

SOURCE The Dawn Project