Tesla invites select few to Texas robotaxi trial with front seat safety monitors
Arthur Maltin, a test driver with The Dawn Project, performs a safety test on a self-driving feature in a Tesla Model Y during a protest against Tesla robotaxis, ahead of the Tesla robotaxis' official services in Austin, Texas, U.S., June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Joel Angel Juarez
(Reuters) -Tesla has sent out invitations to a small group of people to join the limited test of its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, which is tentatively set to start on Sunday, according to posts and email screenshots on social media.
The invitations said a Tesla employee will accompany riders in the front passenger seat, the posts showed.
A successful trial in Austin will be crucial for Tesla, as car buyers shun the company following its CEO Elon Musk's embrace of hard-right politics in the U.S. and worldwide.
The company has shifted from building a cheaper EV platform to robotics and artificial intelligence. Much of the company's valuation rests on that bet.
Musk has said he will focus on safety in the trial, with humans remotely monitoring the vehicles. He has said he expects to be able to scale the robotaxi quickly.
Tesla plans to deploy around 10 Model Y SUVs that run on a version of Tesla's full self-driving driver assistance software, Musk has said.
The start could be delayed and the service might be limited or unavailable in bad weather. Riders have to be aged 18 or above to take a ride.
"Tesla is rolling out the Robotaxi service extremely cautiously, which is good. Baby steps," posted Omar Qazi, an X.com user with 635,100 followers who posts often about Tesla using the handle @WholeMarsBlog and received an invite. "Very much so," CEO Elon Musk responded.
But commercializing autonomous vehicles is an expensive, risky process. Tesla and others such as Alphabet's Waymo and Amazon's Zoox have faced federal investigations and recalls following collisions.
Industry experts have questioned the efficacy of Tesla's self-driving technology that depends mostly on cameras and AI, without redundant sensors such as lidar and radar, claiming fog, heavy rain, and glaring sunlight can hamper safety.
On Wednesday, a group of Democratic lawmakers from the Austin area called on the company to delay the rollout until September, when a new state law governing autonomous vehicles takes effect.
Users who confirm their presence in Austin can download Tesla's Robotaxi app, which they use to call a vehicle.
"Through this exclusive preview, you'll have the opportunity to provide valuable feedback on our Robotaxi service," one of the screenshots showed.Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the screenshots.
(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru and Abhirup Roy in San Francisco, Editing by Peter Henderson and Louise Heavens)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Motorcycling-Marquez claims 100th career pole with lap record in Italian GP qualifying
FILE PHOTO: MotoGP - French Grand Prix - Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans, France - May 11, 2025 Ducati Lenovo Team's Marc Marquez in action during the MotoGP race REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo (Reuters) -Marc Marquez took the 100th pole of his career on his Ducati debut at the Mugello Circuit at their home Italian Grand Prix on Saturday in a qualifying session where the lap record was broken several times. It was Marquez's sixth pole of the season and the 72nd MotoGP pole of his career to go with his 14 poles in Moto2 and 14 more in the 125cc World Championship. "I'm super happy because it was a real pole position, it was without (using) the slipstreams, alone and just trying to find my limits," Marquez said. "The pace was not bad but (I have to) be patient because in the afternoon with a warm temperature, it can change everything. But at the moment we are there and ready to fight for the sprint and main race." Marquez initially took provisional pole when he slotted in behind his brother Alex and used the Gresini bike's slipstream to his advantage. As Alex crossed the line with the fastest time, Marc snatched top spot from him less than a second later with a lap record. Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo then broke the record but before he could celebrate, Marc's Italian team mate Francesco Bagnaia went even faster on his home track where he has won the last three Grands Prix. However, Marc had one more flying lap left in him and when the Spaniard crossed the line, he set a time of one minute and 44.169 seconds to pip Bagnaia to pole by 0.059 seconds. Alex will join them on the front row. "I tried everything in qualifying, Marc was in super shape and it's tough to beat him. I wanted to start on the front row and this was the best result in qualifying (for me) this season," Bagnaia said. Quartararo was only fourth fastest despite breaking the lap record and he will be joined on the second row by KTM's Maverick Vinales and VR46 Racing's Franco Morbidelli. (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Pope Leo warns politicians of the challenges posed by AI
FILE PHOTO: Pope Leo XIV holds general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/File Photo VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo warned politicians on Saturday of the challenges posed by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), addressing its potential impact on younger people as a prime concern. Speaking at an event attended by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and parliamentary delegations from 68 countries, Leo revisited a topic that he has raised on a number of occasions during the first few weeks of his papacy. "In particular, it must not be forgotten that artificial intelligence functions as a tool for the good of human beings, not to diminish them or even to replace them," Leo said at an event held as part of the Roman Catholic Jubilee or Holy Year. AI proponents say it will speed up scientific and technological progress and help people to carry out routine tasks, granting them more time to pursue higher-value and creative work. The U.S.-born pontiff said attention was needed to protect "healthy, fair and sound lifestyles, especially for the good of younger generations." He noted that AI's "static memory" was in no way comparable to the "creative, dynamic" power of human memory. "Our personal life has greater value than any algorithm, and social relationships require spaces for development that far transcend the limited patterns that any soulless machine can pre-package," he said. Leo, who became pope in May, has spoken previously of the threat posed by AI to jobs and has called on journalists to use it responsibly. (Writing by Keith WeirEditing by Tomasz Janowski)
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
India's watchdog warns Air India for breaching pilots' flight duty timings
NEW DELHI: India's aviation watchdog has issued a warning to Air India for "repeated and serious violations" related to pilot duty scheduling and oversight, according to government directives reviewed by Reuters on Saturday. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed Air India to remove three company executives from crew scheduling roles – a divisional vice-president, a chief manager of crew scheduling and one planning executive – for lapses linked to flights from Bengaluru to London on May 16 and May 17 that exceeded the stipulated pilot flight time limit of 10 hours. The 20 June order cited "systemic failures in scheduling protocol and oversights" and criticised the lack of strict disciplinary measures against responsible officials. The latest action by the aviation authority against the airline is unrelated to this month's crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane that killed all but one of the 242 people onboard but signals heightened scrutiny of the airline. On Thursday, Reuters reported the authorities had also warned Air India for breaching safety rules after three of its Airbus planes flew despite being overdue for checks on emergency equipment of escape slides. The latest order by Assistant Director of Operations at the DGCA, Himanshu Srivastava, said: "Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible." In a statement to Reuters, Air India said it has implemented the DGCA order and, in the interim, the company's Chief Operations Officer will provide direct oversight to the Integrated Operations Control Centre. "Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices," it added. The DGCA stated in its order that Air India had voluntarily disclosed the violations. Air India was taken over by the Tata Group in 2022 and faces many challenges in its attempts to rebuild its image, after years of criticism from travellers for poor service. The Indian regulator, like many abroad, often fines airlines for compliance lapses. India's government in February told parliament that authorities had warned or fined airlines in 23 instances for safety violations last year. Around half of them – 12 – involved Air India and Air India Express. The biggest fine was US$127,000 on Air India for "insufficient oxygen on board" during some international flights.
