In the bustling city of New York, Tesla is searching for a dedicated motorist to explore its cutting-edge driver-assistance technology with hopes of moving towards fully autonomous driving. This exciting opportunity was detailed in a job listing that caught my eye from AFP.
This “Vehicle Operator, Autopilot” position isn’t just a ride in the park; it requires conducting long drives in an “engineering vehicle,” with responsibilities for gathering dynamic audio and camera data needed for testing and training.
Located in Flushing, Queens, this full-time gig may seem promising, but keep in mind that we are still a bit away from actual robotaxi services operating in NYC.
Right now, New York state regulations only allow autonomous vehicles to be used for testing purposes. In fact, just this past June, Waymo submitted a permit application aimed at ramping up its self-driving car testing.
Tesla’s CEO, the one and only Elon Musk, has suggested that Tesla is gearing up for a significant ramp-up in the deployment of autonomous cars, highlighting how artificial intelligence is being used to analyze tons of real-world data collected from Tesla’s current fleet.
Back in June, Tesla finally unveiled a limited robotaxi operation in Austin, Texas, although this rollout faced numerous delays beforehand.
During a conference call in July, Musk made a bold prediction that Tesla could have autonomous ride-hailing available to around half of the US population by the year’s end—a goal that currently feels a bit out of reach.
However, Musk did concede that the timing of this rollout hinges heavily on getting the green light from regulators, noting that Tesla is being “extremely careful” due to ongoing safety concerns.
