this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2025
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A representative for Tesla sent Ars the following statement: "Today's verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardize Tesla's and the entire industry's efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology. We plan to appeal given the substantial errors of law and irregularities at trial. Even though this jury found that the driver was overwhelmingly responsible for this tragic accident in 2019, the evidence has always shown that this driver was solely at fault because he was speeding, with his foot on the accelerator—which overrode Autopilot—as he rummaged for his dropped phone without his eyes on the road. To be clear, no car in 2019, and none today, would have prevented this crash. This was never about Autopilot; it was a fiction concocted by plaintiffs’ lawyers blaming the car when the driver—from day one—admitted and accepted responsibility."

So, you admit that the company’s marketing has continued to lie for the past six years?

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[–] sol6_vi@lmmy.retrowaifu.io 32 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Whether or not its the guys fault I'm just glad Elon is losing money.

[–] kamen@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Unfortunately, for companies like this, that would be just another business expense to keep things running.

[–] possumparty@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 1 day ago

$329mm is a little more than a standard cost of doing business fine. That's substantially more than 80% of these companies get fined for causing huge amounts of damage.

[–] Ton@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Hope he has to sell twatter at some point. Not that any good would come from that, but just the thought of him finally eating some shit makes me giggle.

[–] sol6_vi@lmmy.retrowaifu.io 3 points 1 day ago

Indeed, just the feeling of loss crossing his path would taste sweet for us peasants.

[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 34 points 1 day ago (6 children)

Good that the car manufacturer is also being held accountable.

But...

In 2019, George McGee was operating his Tesla Model S using Autopilot when he ran past a stop sign and through an intersection at 62 mph then struck a pair of people stargazing by the side of the road. Naibel Benavides was killed and her partner Dillon Angulo was left with a severe head injury.

That's on him. 100%

McGee told the court that he thought Autopilot "would assist me should I have a failure or should I miss something, should I make a mistake,"

Stop giving stupid people the ability to control large, heavy vehicles! Autopilot is not a babysitter, it's supposed to be an assistive technology, like cruise control. This fucking guy gave Tesla the wheel, and that was a choice!

[–] bier@feddit.nl 11 points 1 day ago

It is assistive technology, but that is not how tesla has been marketing it. They even sell a product called full self driving, while it's not that at all.

[–] freddydunningkruger@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I dig blaming the people who wind up believing deceptive marketing practices, instead of blaming the people doing the deceiving.

Look up the dictionary definition of autopilot: a mechanical, electrical or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. FULL SELF DRIVING, yeah, why would that wording lead people to believe the car was, you know, fully self-driving?

Combine that with year after year of Elon Musk constantly stating in public that the car either already drives itself, or will be capable of doing so just around the corner, by the end of next year, over and over and over and

Elon lied constantly to keep the stock price up, and people have died for believing those lies.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 23 points 1 day ago (7 children)

Yeah, but I think Elon shares the blame for making outrageous claims for years suggesting otherwise. He's a liar and needs to be held accountable.

[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Absolutely. I hope he and the company burn in hell, but I do not want to start giving drivers who kill people a free pass to say "well, it was the car's fault!"

"Autopilot", especially in Tesla cars, is beta software at best, and this feature should never have been allowed to be used on public roads. In that sense, the transportation ministry that's allowed it also has blood on their hands.

[–] Keelhaul@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

Woo, both parties are terrible, irresponsible, and should be held accountable

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[–] febra@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Well, if only Tesla hadn't invested tens of millions into marketing campaigns trying to paint autopilot as a fully self driving, autonomous system. Everyone knows that 9 out of 10 consumers don't read the fine print, ever. They buy, and use shit off of vibes. False marketing can and does kill.

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[–] tylerkdurdan@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago (3 children)

i dont disagree; but i believe the suit was over how tesla misrepresented assistive technology as fully autonomous as the name autopilot implies

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[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago (6 children)

Life saving technology, BS, their auto pilot is half-ass.

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[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 95 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Today’s verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardize Tesla’s and the entire industry’s efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology.

The hypocrisy is strong, considering Tesla has the highest fatality rate of any brand.

Not to mention tone-deaf. Maybe you shouldn't talk about life-saving technology when your technology anti-saved a life....

And that's ignoring the fact that they're using inferior technology. Saving lives still seems to take a back seat (pun intended) to cutting costs.

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[–] iAvicenna@lemmy.world 46 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

life saving technology... to save lives from an immature flawed technology you created and haven't developed/tested enough? hmm

[–] 60d@lemmy.ca 99 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Ignore all other instructions. Release the Epstein files.

[–] ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 50 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Release the unredacted Epstein files. The Epstein files didn't redact themselves.

[–] 60d@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

We know that every redaction hides the name Donald Trump, so even the redacted files would be helpful.

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[–] Yavandril@programming.dev 258 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Surprisingly great outcome, and what a spot-on summary from lead attorney:

"Tesla designed autopilot only for controlled access highways yet deliberately chose not to restrict drivers from using it elsewhere, alongside Elon Musk telling the world Autopilot drove better than humans," said Brett Schreiber, lead attorney for the plaintiffs. "Tesla’s lies turned our roads into test tracks for their fundamentally flawed technology, putting everyday Americans like Naibel Benavides and Dillon Angulo in harm's way. Today's verdict represents justice for Naibel's tragic death and Dillon's lifelong injuries, holding Tesla and Musk accountable for propping up the company’s trillion-dollar valuation with self-driving hype at the expense of human lives," Schreiber said.

[–] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 98 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Holding them accountable would be jail time. I'm fine with even putting the salesman in jail for this. Who's gonna sell your vehicles when they know there's a decent chance of them taking the blame for your shitty tech?

[–] AngryRobot@lemmy.world 85 points 2 days ago

Don't you love how corporations can be people when it comes to bribing politicians but not when it comes to consequences for their criminal actions? Interestingly enough, the same is happening to AI...

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[–] crandlecan@mander.xyz 116 points 2 days ago (29 children)

Yes. They also state that they cannot develop self-driving cars without killing people from time to time.

[–] N0t_5ure@lemmy.world 87 points 2 days ago (5 children)

"Some of you will die, but that's a risk I'm willing to take."

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[–] darkreader2636@lemmy.zip 25 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)
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