Tesla and Waymo Trade Jabs Over Superior Self-Driving Technology
Waymo's CEO dismisses Tesla as a mere competitor, claiming its system requires human supervision while Waymo achieves true autonomy. Elon Musk quickly fires back, asserting that Tesla possesses superior AI hardware and software.
Tesla and Waymo engage in a public dispute over who possesses the superior self-driving technology. Waymo CEO John Krafcik states in a new interview that Tesla is not a competitor at all, arguing that Tesla only produces a driver assistance system rather than a fully autonomous driving system. He points out that Tesla requires drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel, while Waymo's vehicles explicitly instruct occupants not to touch the wheel.
Krafcik dismisses the idea that a driver assistance system magically transforms into a fully autonomous system through continuous updates. He claims that Waymo's sensors, which include lidar technology that Tesla avoids, are orders of magnitude better in terms of robustness and accuracy than the hardware other manufacturers use on the road. Waymo relies on this lidar technology along with high-definition mapping to operate its driverless services in select cities.
Elon Musk responds directly to these comments by asserting that Tesla actually possesses better artificial intelligence hardware and software than Waymo. Tesla relies entirely on computer vision and camera-based technology instead of lidar, and backs this approach with its own custom-designed computer chips that feature built-in neural network accelerators. This fundamental difference in engineering philosophy fuels the ongoing rivalry between the two companies.