Super Bowl Ads Call for Boycott of Tesla’s Self-Driving Technology
In a controversial move during Sunday’s Super Bowl, a pair of ads called on viewers to boycott Tesla’s self-driving technology, claiming that the company’s vehicles are unsafe. These ads, released by The Dawn Project, were a direct response to a previous Super Bowl campaign in 2023, which featured a Tesla equipped with Autopilot driving over child-sized dummies in a parking lot.
The message of The Dawn Project’s ads was clear: Elon Musk sells defective self-driving software, falsely claiming that it is safer than a human driver. According to the group’s website, this software “drives like a drunk teenager.” They argue that purchasing a Tesla from Musk makes one an enabler of his reckless behavior, including his self-driving experiments, which they claim have resulted in over 1,000 crashes and at least 33 deaths. The group is calling for a boycott of Tesla to cut off funding for what they call Musk’s “depraved human experiments.”
The controversial ads shown during Sunday’s game featured an Autopilot-driven Tesla ignoring a flashing stop sign on a school bus and hitting multiple child-sized dummies. This visual demonstration was meant to further emphasize The Dawn Project’s message.
Tesla’s Autopilot technology has faced mounting scrutiny from both state and federal regulators over the past year. In December, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concluded that incorrect use of the software had contributed to accidents. As a result, Tesla issued a recall for approximately two million vehicles, nearly its entire production history, in order to implement mandated Autopilot updates. Although Tesla disagreed with the NHTSA’s findings, they still complied with the recall and software update.
Autopilot is a leading feature for Tesla, allowing for automated lane changes, acceleration, and braking. Despite its name, Autopilot is not a fully self-driving system. Criticism of the software has stemmed from claims that it can be easily tricked, allowing drivers to be less attentive or even not present in the driver’s seat while the vehicle is in motion.
This recent recall is just the latest in a series of investigations and recalls involving Tesla and its self-driving software. The California attorney general initiated their own investigation into the safety of Autopilot software and Tesla vehicles in July.
The Hill has reached out to Tesla for comment on this matter, but no response has been received thus far.
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Analyst comment
This news can be seen as negative for Tesla, as it highlights the controversy surrounding their self-driving technology and calls for a boycott. The market may react with increased skepticism towards Tesla’s Autopilot system, potentially leading to a decrease in investor confidence and a decline in Tesla’s stock price. Additionally, the mounting scrutiny from regulators and ongoing investigations could further impact Tesla’s reputation and market position.
