Customers that pay to test the beta version of Tesla’s “Full Sell Driving” software have a tangled connection with the company. These are frequently devoted supporters eager to tout the company’s capabilities and demonstrate its latest driver-assist technologies. They do, however, have a habit of oversharing, publishing films that reveal when and how the software goes awry.
Things become much more complex when the individual providing these clips also works for Tesla. Former employee John Bernal, who assessed the company’s FSD Beta software on his YouTube channel AI Addict, claims he was sacked last month after sharing a video of his car colliding with a bollard.
Tesla Claims That Bernal Violated Their Policy
Bernal claims that before his firing, his bosses told him orally that he “violated Tesla policy” and that his YouTube channel was a “conflict of interest,” according to CNBC. After publishing a video in March 2021 showing multiple close encounters with pedestrians and bicycles while using the FSD beta software, Bernal said he’d been approached by managers. The video has over 250,000 views and has been extensively shared on social media sites such as Twitter.
Customers that pay for Tesla’s sophisticated driver aid software (dubbed “Full Self Driving” by the business, much to the chagrin of several industry groups) get access to experimental upgrades through the FSD Beta.
Tesla claims that 60,000 customers have signed up to test FSD Beta on public roads, providing the company with vital feedback. Since its inception, the firm claims there have been no incidents or injuries employing FSD Beta (albeit there have been many deaths involving Tesla’s conventional driver-assist software).
Several FSD Beta testers have posted YouTube evaluations of the company’s software, and Bernal says he plans to keep his channel up (albeit he now has to borrow friends’ automobiles to test FSD Beta).
