Thread by @Tweetermeyer

Every time someone makes a viral video like this and Tesla does and says nothing about it, they are endorsing the foreseeable misuse of their products and ensuring that more people will die as a result. Hope it's worth it!

https://twitter.com/DrTyronLouw/status/1389857024104714241

For sure, Tesla is not the only party responsible for the future deaths this will inspire. Other responsible parties include:
-the platform
-the influencer
-the influencer/platform's sponsors
-regulators/politicians/law enforcement
We're all failing here.

https://twitter.com/chadkirchner/status/1390054043872120832

We have to remember: this is safety-critical technology, which the public is in no way equipped to make independent judgements about. This is precisely why consumer protections exist: everyday people shouldn't need to be expert in arcane topics to enjoy a basic level of safety.

There's more at stake here than "just" individual lives. Because this is arcane, safety-critical technology, undermining the public's limited understanding of it directly leads to mistrust and rejection. The responsible parties are ensuring this tech won't deliver on its promise.

That means undermining a potential solution to10s of thousands of road deaths. It means undermining the possibility of personal autonomy for those who lack it today. It even means undermining the very notion that technology can make our lives net better... a shaky belief already.

Contrary to what some seem to believe, I have no formal power to influence what the AV sector does or says. Most of what I say publicly is stuff they all already know... including this: this is an untenable situation for this technology and those who believe in it.

This issue isn't "about" Tesla, they are just the only company openly exploiting the public's ignorance and endangering our roads. When Mercedes did this, consumer groups urged the FTC to investigate and the ads were pulled:

jalopnik.com/possible-merce…

reuters.com/article/us-mer…

If you are a reporter who wants to explore this topic, read the research on the link between social media posts and real-world deaths, understand the technical issues, be put in touch with leading experts, etc I am more than happy to volunteer my free time to that. DMs are open.

Finally, so there is no confusion: everything you see here represents my own personal views/feelings alone. Nobody is telling me to care about this, and I have no personal stake in the issue beyond wanting to feel safe on public roads and see driving automation benefit society.

I'm also less alone on this issue than I've felt for a long time. Here are two pieces on shifting sentiment, just from today:

autonews.com/mobility-repor…

govtech.com/products/opini…

Also, read @DavidZipper's excellent case for regulatory action: slate.com/technology/202…