# Musk’s ‘AI Day’ confronts tough questions about Tesla’s technology Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-08-19 Category: TECHNOLOGY Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/technology Meta Title: Tesla's AI Day: Promises and Reality Meta Description: Explore the conflicting views of Tesla's AI capabilities and the challenges faced in achieving full self-driving technology. Join the conversation. URL: https://financedigest.com/musks-ai-day-confronts-tough-questions-about-teslas-technologyhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2021-08-19t141759z1lynxmpeh7i0pjrtroptp4tesla-technology-ai-1736837994995-compressed.jpg) By Hyunjoo Jin SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – At Tesla’s “Autonomy Day” event in April 2019, Chief Executive Elon Musk said that by mid-2020 Tesla would have over a million self-driving vehicles where riders “could go to sleep” during a trip. Tesla has not achieved that goal and on Thursday Musk is staging another event, called “AI Day,” to promote his electric car company as the place to work for the engineers he needs to make good on his promises for autonomous vehicles. Musk has walked back some of his claims for Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) system in recent months, [saying Tesla cars](https://www.financedigest.com/german-minister-says-on-right-track-to-solving-co2-emitting-car-row.html "German minister says ‘on right track’ to solving CO2-emitting car row") are “not fully-self driving yet. U.S. [safety regulators earlier this week opened an investigation into Tesla’s driver assistant system because of accidents where Tesla cars](https://www.financedigest.com/how-technology-is-improving-car-safety.html "How technology is improving car safety") crashed into stationary police cars and fire trucks. Two U.S. senators also called on the Fair Trade Commission to investigate [Tesla’s claims of “Full Self-Driving”](https://www.financedigest.com/elon-musk-focused-on-getting-self-driving-teslas-in-wide-release-by-year-end.html "Elon Musk: focused on getting self-driving Teslas in wide release by year-end") and “Autopilot. [“Expectations have been significantly](https://www.financedigest.com/thomson-reuters-report-reveals-risk-compliance-staff-expect-to-see-significant-benefits-from-artificial-intelligence-ai-and-distributed-ledger-technologies.html "Thomson Reuters Report Reveals Risk & Compliance Staff Expect to See Significant Benefits from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Distributed Ledger Technologies") reduced from investors … Tesla has got some harder questions to answer, what’s going on with the safety probe? And how they market FSD?” asked Gene Munster, [managing partner at venture capital firm](https://www.financedigest.com/exclusive-crypto-giant-binance-moved-400-million-from-u-s-partner-to-firm-managed-by-ceo-zhao.html "Exclusive-Crypto giant Binance moved 0 million from U.S. partner to firm managed by CEO Zhao") Loup Ventures. “I think the substance of the event is going to be lost with investors because it’s just a geek fest.” Shares of the electric carmaker fell nearly 2% to $675.99 in morning trading on Thursday. CONFLICTING VIEWS OF AI In its invitation, Tesla said participants in the event at 5 p.m. Palo Alto, California, time will “get an inside-look at what’s next for AI at [Tesla beyond our vehicle fleet.” Musk](https://www.financedigest.com/with-big-bets-on-musk-these-funds-may-have-a-tesla-problem-in-23.html "With big bets on Musk, these funds may have a Tesla problem in ’23") said the event will be livestreamed. Goldman Sachs said it expected Tesla to [discuss AI applications for solar/storage software](https://www.financedigest.com/volkswagen-to-discuss-new-software-roadmap-on-dec-15-handelsblatt.html "Volkswagen to discuss new software roadmap on Dec. 15 -Handelsblatt") and advanced manufacturing in its factories. Musk has expressed complicated and contradictory views of [artificial intelligence](https://www.financedigest.com/types-of-artificial-intelligence.html "Types of artificial intelligence"). He has touted Tesla’s AI as industry leading, but also said [artificial intelligence](https://www.financedigest.com/artificial-intelligence-ai-to-catalyze-the-cell-analysis-instruments-market.html "Artificial Intelligence (AI) to catalyze the Cell Analysis Instruments Market") could destroy humanity and pose bigger risks than nuclear-armed North Korea. During 2017 and 2018, Tesla struggled to increase production of the Model 3 sedan in part because an ambitious [factory automation project hit](https://www.financedigest.com/nestle-closes-french-buitoni-factory-hit-by-e-coli-outbreak.html "Nestle closes French Buitoni factory hit by E.coli outbreak") snags. Yes, excessive [automation at Tesla was a mistake,”](https://www.financedigest.com/5-common-mistakes-around-accounts-payable-automation.html "5 Common Mistakes Around Accounts Payable Automation") Musk tweeted in 2018. “To be precise, my mistake. Humans are underrated.” DOJO Musk is [expected to reveal](https://www.financedigest.com/revealed-the-top-5-places-brits-expect-to-find-the-one-in-2016.html "REVEALED: THE TOP 5 PLACES BRITS EXPECT TO FIND ‘THE ONE’ IN 2016") more about Tesla’s “Dojo” computing system on Thursday, which he has said would process vast amounts of video data it obtain from Tesla vehicles on the road. [Musk said Dojo will have Tesla’s](https://www.financedigest.com/elon-musk-faces-skeptics-as-tesla-gets-ready-to-unveil-optimus-robot.html "Elon Musk faces skeptics as Tesla gets ready to unveil ‘Optimus’ robot") own chips and architecture. “AI Day is really a recruiting day for Tesla. It’s not a marketing event for a vehicle,” said Ross Gerber, chief [executive of investment fund Gerber Kawasaki which owns Tesla](https://www.financedigest.com/musks-twitter-deal-could-test-tesla-executive-bench.html "Musk’s Twitter deal could test Tesla executive bench") shares. Tesla is competing with other [technology companies](https://www.financedigest.com/5-top-tips-on-how-to-grow-a-technology-company.html "5 Top Tips on how to grow a technology company"), especially Google, for engineers skilled in artificial intelligence systems, Gerber said. Musk has a history of promoting technology at showy events, then [pushing back the launch](https://www.financedigest.com/q-acoustics-push-global-expansion-with-canada-launch.html "Q Acoustics Push Global Expansion with Canada Launch") dates. Last September, Musk announced an ambitious plan to produce its own [battery cells which would enable Tesla to offer a $25,000 car](https://www.financedigest.com/scratched-ev-battery-your-insurer-may-have-to-junk-the-whole-car.html "Scratched EV battery? Your insurer may have to junk the whole car") in three years. But Musk subsequently canceled the longest-range Model S Plaid+, which he had said would use the cells. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Additional reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Grant McCool) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---