Elon Musk of Tesla Inc has been ordered by a California court to testify under oath regarding statements he made regarding Autopilot capabilities and safety in regards to a lawsuit filed in 2018 by Walter Huang's family after his fatal car crash with Tesla's semi-automatic driving software allegedly contributed to it causing it. Tesla claims Huang was distracted by playing phone games prior to ignoring warning signs on the vehicle which contributed to his death, though Tesla claims otherwise.
Tesla asserts that Elon Musk may have made claims that could be considered "deepfakes".
Plaintiff attorneys want to interview Elon Musk about recorded statements promoting Autopilot from 2016, especially statements made that year. Tesla declined their request as Musk can no longer recall details from said statements, while they claim he may often be subjected to deepfake videos which falsely attribute statements made directly by himself to him.
Recent statistics demonstrate that Teslas equipped with FSD or Autopilot are safer than most human drivers.
Judge Evette Penypacker has tentatively ordered that Elon Musk be deposed for three hours under Judge Evette Penypacker's oversight in order to question him about the authenticity and recordings. She found Tesla's arguments "deeply troubling", noting how this position could allow celebrities like Musk to avoid accepting responsibility for public comments made.
Musk may face legal questions in relation to his 2016 statement in which he purported to suggest that the Model S & Model X could drive autonomously with greater security than humans. Plaintiffs also accuse Musk of authorizing a 2016 video which stated, "The car will drive itself." Plaintiffs asserted this promotional video displayed features not available yet at that time which caused confusion amongst consumers at large and were therefore misleading for them.
Autopilot will be at the center of a lawsuit set for filing on July 31.
This lawsuit will go to trial on July 31 and adds to an already growing scrutiny that Tesla's Autopilot is receiving from both legal experts and regulators. Furthermore, in a letter addressed to their Board of Directors by investors concerned with potential legalities that arise with respect to this technology.
The case has drawn widespread scrutiny both from the general public and regulators who are grappling with the implications and safety concerns related to partially automated driving software such as Tesla Autopilot. A California state court jury recently decided in another crash trial that Tesla Autopilot wasn't to blame.
Legal challenges regarding Tesla Autopilot are ever-evolving, with Elon Musk's testimony in this case potentially having lasting ramifications for autonomous vehicle technology and Tesla itself. Our 400 word expanded summary offers an overview of ongoing litigation between Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors Inc, and its Autopilot feature.
