MindBullets 20 Years

Around the world in 80 seconds

Big Tesla is watching us drive

The global Tesla fleet travels over 60,000km per minute, on average. That’s about 1.5 times around the world. Every minute of every day, on average. So it’s more like ‘round the world in 40 seconds. And as we all know, every Tesla is packed with cameras, and enough artificial intelligence to make race car drivers look stupid.

Every Tesla on the road is actively scanning the route, logging features and abnormalities, and geotagging everything it sees. That’s a massive amount of data that can be harvested to update and enhance Tesla’s self-driving and navigation capabilities; and every Tesla is online, just like a smartphone. It can warn other Teslas nearby of traffic hazards and provide alternative route suggestions.

Teslas also have internal cameras and sensors, to monitor the driver and make sure you’re paying attention to the road and traffic. You have the option to disable the camera, for privacy – unless you want to activate the autopilot. Even when it’s parked, Tesla’s Sentry mode means it’s alert to activity around the car; it can call you or alert the authorities if it sees something suspicious.

What’s more, with preferential access to the SpaceX Starlink network, your Tesla is always connected to the mothership, no matter where in the world you’re driving. And Tesla knows where you are, if you go off-grid and let the battery die. There’s a hidden system reserve that won’t let you drive, but can keep the signal alive for months.

That’s why Tesla is the best. They have the best software. And the best battery. And the best network. But mostly they have the best data. Thanks to ordinary drivers like me and you. Because they’re watching us drive. Around the world every minute.

Warning: Hazardous thinking at work

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