TL;DRA Reuters investigation found 7 of 9 Tesla data labelers wouldn’t ride in FSD. They routinely saw the system speeding and failing on camera.
Reuters interviewed nine former Tesla data labelers and a former self-driving engineer about their views on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving mode. Seven of the nine data specialists said they would not ride in a Tesla operating on FSD. One said they would not ride in a Tesla robotaxi “if you f**king paid me.”
“We have all seen it fail,” one insider told Reuters. The former self-driving engineer concurred: “Definitely don’t trust Elon on this.” They were referencing Musk’s declaration that Tesla’s vehicles are ready for “safe unsupervised” rides.
The data labelers’ job was to comb through hours of FSD footage and train the vehicle’s software to avoid past mistakes. They had direct access to terabytes of proprietary driving data. At least five told Reuters they routinely saw clips of Teslas driving above the speed limit while operating on FSD.
The speeding issue was treated as a low priority by engineers and managers. Edge-case problems, like unusual road configurations or rare lighting conditions, received more attention. Routine speeding, which affects every drive and every road, was deprioritised.The 💜 of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
