I would bet that it would not arrive in SF (at least the parts governed by Karl the Fog). Vision based sensors cannot slice through fog and rain and they would need constant take over by a driver.
Just ranting here - The psychological disconnect between a remote operator and passengers in a robotaxi needs more research though. Remote operator might have less empathy and responsibility towards passengers possibly causing moral disengagement. The remote driver might never face the real-world aftermath of their actions, which can reduce their sense of remorse or responsibility. There could be complex legal dilemmas too (especially if operator is from a different country)
But this has definitely been researched a lot in the field of military drone operators who can make life altering decisions from thousands of miles away.
They have one of the best Level 2 self-driving implementations on the market. It’s so good that I don’t even question the FSD tag. That said, I would never let my family ride in a Tesla robotaxi running on the existing suite of sensors and FSD. Does anyone know what needs to happen for Tesla to reach Level 5 autonomy? I get nervous letting the current FSD handle complicated intersections.
I wouldn’t step into a Tesla robotaxi in bad weather, period. They’d absolutely need a human remotely operating it. Without a steering wheel, passengers can’t take control even if they wanted to. Even in good weather, I’d be genuinely surprised if Teslas, in their current form, could drive around autonomously. I was really hoping Musk would mention new sensors being added for extra safety, maybe spinning it as: “Your Model 3 doesn’t need additional sensors, but just to be safe, we’re adding new ones.”
Wasn't the first iPhone demo totally buggy as well? It doesn't matter. Users have seen what ChatGPT can do, and the community was excited that Bing will offer it for free soon and is eager to pivot to it.