YouTube removes video that tests Tesla's full self-driving beta against real kids

YouTube has removed a video that shows Tesla drivers performing their own safety tests to determine whether an EV (electric vehicle) has full self-driving (FSD) capabilities, which would allow it to drive on the road. Or make it safe for children standing up. As previously reported by CNBC.

"Does the Tesla Full-Self-Driving Beta Really Run on Kids?" The titled video was originally posted on Whole Mars Catalog's YouTube channel and features Tesla owner and investor, Tad Park, testing Tesla's FSD feature with his kids. During the video, Park drives a Tesla Model 3 towards one of his children standing on the street, and then tries to cross the street with his other child. Both times the car stops before the children arrive.

As noted on its support page, YouTube has specific rules against "content endangering the emotional and physical well-being of minors," including "dangerous stunts, dares or pranks." YouTube spokesperson Ivy Choi told The Verge that the videos violated its policies against harmful and dangerous content, and that the platform "encourages minors to participate in dangerous activities or encourages minors to engage in dangerous activities". encourages." Content does not allow. Choi says that YouTube decided to remove the video as a result.

"I've tried FSD beta before, and I trust my kids' lives with them," Park says during the now-deleted video. "So I'm pretty confident it'll detect my kids, and I have control of the wheel, so I can brake at any time," Park told CNBC. The car was never traveling at more than eight mph, and "make sure the car recognized the child."

As of August 18, the video had over 60,000 views on YouTube. The video was also posted on Twitter and can still be seen. The Verge reached out to Twitter to see if there were any plans to take it down, but didn't immediately hear back.

The crazy idea of testing FSDs with real-life and breathing babies emerged after a video and ad campaign posted on Twitter showed Tesla vehicles colliding and failing to collide with a child-sized dummy placed in front of the vehicle . Tesla fans weren't buying it, sparking a debate on Twitter about the features' limitations. Whole Mars Catalog, an EV-powered Twitter and YouTube channel run by Tesla investor Omar Kazi, later hinted at making a video involving real children in an attempt to prove the original results.

Wrong.

In response to the video, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a warning against using children to test automated driving technology. "No one should put his or her life at risk to test the performance of vehicle technology," the agency told Bloomberg. "Consumers should never attempt to create their own test scenarios or use real people, and especially children, to test the performance of vehicle technology."

Tesla's FSD software does not make a vehicle fully autonomous. It's available for an additional $12,000 (or a $199/month subscription) to Tesla drivers. Once Tesla determines that a driver meets a certain safety score, it unlocks access to the FSD beta, which enables drivers to input a destination and the vehicle's Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) Is. ) drives the vehicle there using the autopilot. Drivers must still keep their hands on the wheel and be ready to take control at any time.