Tesla launches robotaxi rides in Austin with no human safety driver

Tesla has officially launched its driverless robotaxi service in Austin, marking a significant milestone in autonomous transportation. CEO Elon Musk took to social media on Thursday to announce this groundbreaking step, stating, "Just started Tesla Robotaxi drives in Austin with no safety monitor in the car. Congrats to the Tesla AI team!" In his announcement, Musk also expressed his commitment to advancing artificial intelligence, inviting engineers to join Tesla's AI team to tackle real-world challenges that could lead to the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI). The journey toward this fully autonomous service began last June when Tesla first introduced its robotaxis in Austin, operating under a limited rollout that included a human safety operator in the front seat. Initially, these rides were made available to select influencers and chosen customers. By December, Tesla began testing its robotaxis without a safety driver present, a move designed to evaluate the vehicle's ability to operate independently. However, not all vehicles in the Austin fleet will be fully autonomous from the start. According to Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's AI lead, the rollout will begin with a mix of unsupervised vehicles alongside those still monitored for safety. This ratio of autonomous to supervised vehicles is expected to evolve over time. Details on whether passengers will incur a fare for these rides remain unclear, as Tesla has not provided information on pricing. Comparatively, other companies in the sector, such as Zoox and Waymo, opted for free rides during their initial rollouts of driverless services. TechCrunch has reached out to Tesla for further clarification but has not yet received a response.