Last Monday, billionaire CEO Elon Musk stated that Tesla cars are now capable of independent thought. Musk emphasized that Tesla researchers have grasped certain aspects of artificial general intelligence (AGI). This has enabled Tesla vehicles to exhibit a form of cognitive ability.
AGI refers to the replication of human-like cognitive abilities in software. An AGI system is able to find solutions when confronted with unfamiliar tasks. AGI is distinguished from weak or narrow AI, which performs specific tasks and addresses particular problems.
However, Musk clarified that Tesla’s AGI is still quite limited. Musk made his statement in response to a tweet from a fan. The fan had shared a video of himself driving around San Francisco in a Tesla with full self-driving (FSD) mode active.
I think we may have figured out some aspects of AGI. The car has a mind. Not an enormous mind, but a mind nonetheless.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 7, 2023
Musk has been making promises since 2016 that Tesla vehicles would be capable of autonomous driving. In June, he hinted that FSD version 12 would achieve full autonomy and no longer be in beta mode. Currently, FSD software is being tested and requires active driver supervision.
Musk has gained a reputation for his optimistic statements regarding FSD. In a July 27 tweet, Musk shared his experience with an alpha build of FSD version 12, describing it as “mind-blowing.”
According to a techAU report, FSD Beta version 12 is anticipated to be a comprehensive solution, using a single neural network to master all aspects of a task. This advancement is seen as a significant step toward Tesla’s ultimate objective of achieving true autonomous driving.
In July, at the 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, Musk mentioned that Tesla is extremely close to its goal of fully autonomous driving.
