Tesla launches robotaxi rides in Austin with no human safety driver

Tesla is offering passengers robotaxi rides in Austin without a human safety driver in the front seat.

CEO Elon Musk on Thursday posted on X, his social media platform: “Just started Tesla Robotaxi drives in Austin with no safety monitor in the car. Congrats to the Tesla AI team!” 

He then made a recruitment pitch for engineers interested in “solving real-world AI,” which he says will “likely lead to AGI” to join the Tesla AI team. 

The automaker launched its robotaxis in the Texas city last June in a limited deployment with a safety operator in the front passenger seat. Tesla initially offered those first rides to influencers and hand-picked customers. In December, Tesla began testing its robotaxis in Austin without a safety driver in the front seat – a precaution in case the vehicle needs a human to take over.

Not all of Tesla’s fleet in Austin will be fully driverless. Per Tesla’s AI lead Ashok Elluswamy: “Starting with a few unsupervised vehicles mixed in with the broader robotaxi fleet with safety monitors, and the ratio will increase over time.”

It’s not clear whether the rides are free or if Tesla is charging a fare. Some of Tesla’s rivals, like Zoox and Waymo, did not immediately charge for driverless rides upon initial deployment.

TechCrunch has attempted to reach out to Tesla for clarification.