We’ve read articles on the dangers of the auto-driving Tesla features, the fears of depending on artificial intelligence, the future of technology in our everyday lives.
But however much some people may fear the advancement of technology, we will continue to be enamored with the progress of technology. Tesla’s technology isn’t perfect – far from the futuristic intentions of a self-driving car. Yet, Tesla is the hottest car on the market. On April 10th, The Washington Post reported that Tesla is the most valuable car company in America. Even when the car is ridiculously expensive and the company ends up losing money with profit versus the cost of producing the car, the shares of the company continue to rise.
The technology surrounding the Tesla is captivating for people. Much of that draw is due to the founder of the company, Elon Musk. A billionaire businessman and entrepreneur, Musk is responsible for some of the most innovative technological companies of the 21st century. In addition to Tesla, Musk also runs SpaceX, a new private space firm that may take rich people up into space for commercial reasons in the near future.
When celebrities are involved, the products that they stand by are sought after, even if all the bugs haven’t been worked out yet. We’ve seen in the news articles that the Tesla can kill you when the auto-pilot tool doesn’t work probably. Death by robot is not what the companies Musk runs are aiming for, but many of them are dangerous enough to potentially lead to that if anything goes wrong. In the “Death by Robot” article by The New York Times that we read for class, they talk about how cars have to know how to play the “game” of navigating the world of driving, which involves making decisions based on the environment around you. Tesla isn’t ready for this yet – the car can drive itself at one speed, but can’t make decisions that humans can to completely drive from one place to another.
But as long as Elon Musk continues to promote the virtues of the Tesla, and his influence continues to spread far beyond the sphere of business, his shares and public interest in his advanced cars will continue to climb. The Washington Post lists his worth at $14.5 billion, and his influence extends to the Trump administration, tech companies, and the general public. Tesla isn’t the self-driving car of the yet, but with the celebrity figure of Elon Musk backing it, regardless of the technology, people will keep buying it.