Tesla whistleblower raises doubts over safety of self-driving cars

A Tesla employee has raised fresh concerns over the AI used to control the firm’s self-driving vehicles, claiming the technology is not safe enough to be let out on public roads.

Lukasz Krupski, who used to work as a service technician with Elon Musk’s firm, has claimed that he was fired after raising his safety concerns with the autopilot driver-assistance software at his workplace near Oslo.

Now a whistleblower, he shared several accident reports and Tesla’s internal communication with German business newspaper Handelsblatt in May, flagging concerns about alleged flaws in the company’s AI, reported the New York Times.

Speaking in a new interview with BBC News, he said: “I don’t think the hardware is ready [or] the software is ready.

“It affects all of us because we are essentially experiments on public roads. So even if you don’t have a Tesla, your children still walk in the footpath (sic),” he said.

He also described his experience since turning whistleblower on the company, saying it had taken a toll on his health. “I barely sleep at night sometimes,” he said.

While Tesla has not responded directly to Mr Krupski’s claims, the firm’s owner Mr Musk took to X on Saturday, saying: “Tesla has by far the best real-world AI.”

The Independent has approached Tesla for comment.

Tesla’s assisted driving feature has been under investigation from various agencies including the US Department of Justice and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In November, the UK government announced plans for an Automated Vehicles Bill to outline a legal framework for self-driving cars.