Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast.
This is a show where we discuss the critical Crossroads, The
Shape, SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink,
and I'm your host, Will Walden. If you want uninterrupted
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show notes Tesla has recently made a significant step with
their full self driving beta version 12 point 1.2.
This update, which is now available to a group of non
employee Tesla owners, represents a new milestone in
the evolution of the ADAS or the Advanced Driver system.
The update is particularly notable for integrating an end
to end neural network. It's brand new, a shift from the
previous reliance on explicit C++ coding.
This neural network, trained on a vast collection of video
clips, is expected to enhance the system's ability to navigate
complex driving scenarios, and the anticipation for this has
been building for months, culminating in the release of
version 12. Point 1.2 and early feedback
from users indicates a more intuitive and human like driving
experience. However, there's a need to
manage expectations. While this release marks some
progress, it doesn't signify the achievement of Level 4 or even
Level 3 autonomy. Nonetheless, the transition to
AI for vehicle control is seen as a crucial development akin to
Tesla's initial move to AI for its Autopilot system.
Now a standout improvement in FSD beta 12 point 1.2 is its
performance in urban driving scenarios.
Users have noted smoother transitions and quicker response
time, contributing to a more comfortable and natural driving
experience. This advancement is attributed
to the shift from engineer written code people code to
training the vehicle control system on videos of actual
humans driving. An interesting addition in FSD
Beta 12 point 1.2 is the autonomous pullover feature
demonstrated by Elon Musk. This functionality allows the
vehicle to autonomously move to the side of the road at the end
of a drive rather than just stopping.
This feature exemplifies the practical enhancements being
made to Tesla's ADAS, and their approach to the release notes
for this significant update is surprisingly small.
Unlike previously versions where release notes were extensive and
technical, FSD Beta 12 point 1.2 comes with a single sentence.
FSD Beta version 12 upgrades the city, streets and driving stack
to a single end to end neural network trained on millions of
video clips, replacing over 300,000 lines of explicit C++
code. Now, this brief statement shows
that they're moving away from people and moving towards AI for
all of their driver assists. Now the full impact of the FSD
beta 12 point 1.2 will become clearer as more Tesla owners
receive the update and share their experiences.
It's particularly interesting, though, to observe how the
system performs under various driving conditions, including
heavy precipitation, an area where Elon Musk previously
acknowledged needed some development.
Now, the rollout of this update is expected to be gradual and
cautious, with many Tesla owners potentially waiting months for
access. Tesla is likely to use this
release to collect user feedback and aims to address issues and
enhance the system through subsequent updates.
While Tesla continues to push the boundaries of FSD
technology, it's important to remember that the software is
still a beta and achieving full autonomy is very complex.
It's incremental, and it requires extensive testing and
validation. Each update, like version 12
point 1.2, represents a step forward in Tesla's goal of
achieving fully autonomous vehicles.
And the Tesla's community reaction to FSD Beta 12.12 has
been generally positive, with many testers reportedly showing
a noticeable improvement in driving experience, reports of
smoother driving, fewer interventions, and an absence of
awkward moments or comments suggesting a significant leap in
the system's capabilities. One of the more crucial aspects
under scrutiny is the system's performance in challenging
weather conditions, specifically heavy precipitation.
Musk had previously indicated that this was an area requiring
additional training, and observations so far of how this
handles will be pivotal in assessing its overall
effectiveness in the future. Now, Musk's vision for FSD
involves moving beyond the beta phase, an objective he has
expressed in the past in the removal of the beta label would
mark a significant milestone in the journey towards full
autonomy. The goal that Tesla has been
steadily working towards for years and the release of this
latest beta has been met with a pretty positive response.
Like we said before, not just with the drivers but with the
stock of Tesla. However, the exact number of
customers receiving this update remains unclear right now, and
it looks like Tesla's having a bump in their stock.
Tesla's CEO has been very vocal about the improvements of this
one it's set to bring, often describing upcoming releases as
transformative. And despite this enthusiasm,
it's crucial to note that as of now, full self driving is not
fully autonomous, but rather in advance driver assistance
system. As Tesla pushes the boundaries
of autonomous driving, safety remains a paramount concern.
Users under this new beta and other versions are reminded of
the importance of remaining alert and keeping your hands on
the wheel and take control of the vehicle at any time that
something goes wrong. The software, despite all of its
advancements, is not a substitute for an active person
behind the wheel. Now looking ahead, test this
trajectory in the realm of autonomous driving is poised to
be influential. The transition from explicit
coding to an end to end neural network approach could be a huge
deal for the trends of the industry and the success of this
FSD beta and subsequent versions will likely inform future
developments in autonomous vehicle technology for all
manufacturers. Tesla's approach of involving
its customer base in the beta testing of FSD is unique though.
This strategy not only provides valuable real world data, but
also creates a sense of community involvement in the
development process. User feedback is integral to
refining the system and having millions of people test your
software. And addressing these real world
challenges is a huge game changer for Tesla.
Now, the advancements that Tesla has of the autonomous driving
technology is not occurring in isolation.
They're setting benchmarks and challenging other players in the
automotive industry to innovate and develop their own autonomous
driving solutions. The impact of Tesla's FSD beta
versions extends beyond Tesla and beyond the whole company
influencing the direction of the entire industry.
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