Buttigieg Defends FAA Appointment Amid Musk 'Bias' Claims

Elon Musk's Concerns Regarding NHTSA Appointment

Elon Musk publicly expressed his reservations on Twitter regarding the recent selection of Missy Cummings for a significant advisory position within the nation's primary traffic safety organization.

Buttigieg's Response

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg indicated that the Tesla CEO is welcome to directly communicate any concerns he may have. He stated this to reporters during an event on Wednesday, as reported by Reuters.

Buttigieg emphasized the department’s responsibility to ensure the safety of all vehicles operating on public roads.

Musk's Criticism of Cummings

Musk voiced his disapproval of Duke University professor Missy Cummings’ appointment as a safety advisor at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). He asserted that her past record demonstrates a clear bias against Tesla.

Cummings' Response

Cummings, who leads the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory at Duke, responded by stating her willingness to engage in a discussion with Musk at his convenience.

Previous Criticisms of Tesla

Cummings has consistently utilized Twitter to voice her concerns regarding Tesla’s driver assistance technologies and the methods employed for their deployment.

In September, she published a series of tweets critical of Tesla’s “safety score” system, which governs access to the “Full Self-Driving” beta program.

Long-Standing Concerns About Autopilot

Her critiques of Tesla extend back several years. Two years prior, Cummings stated via Twitter that Tesla’s Autopilot system “easily causes mode confusion, is unreliable and unsafe.”

She further recommended that NHTSA mandate the system’s deactivation.

Potential Shift in NHTSA's Stance

Cummings’ appointment to the safety advisory role at NHTSA may signal a more cautious approach towards advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and Tesla within the agency.

Prior Investigations into Tesla

NHTSA and Tesla have a history of interaction. In August, the agency initiated a safety investigation into Autopilot, following 12 reported incidents involving Tesla vehicles colliding with stationary emergency vehicles.

Regulators also previously investigated a fatal crash from 2017 and an additional 25 crashes involving Tesla’s ADAS since that time.

Cummings' View on Full Autonomy

As recently as August, Cummings expressed skepticism about the possibility of achieving full autonomy with Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, stating her belief that it will “never” be realized.

However, she does not necessarily advocate for LiDAR – light detection and ranging – as the solution, suggesting that true self-driving requires “a complete rethink of reasoning under uncertainty” through advancements in deep learning.

Petition Regarding Potential Bias

Supporters of Tesla, organized under the name “Autopilot Users for Progress,” have launched a Change.org petition. This petition calls on President Joe Biden and NHTSA staff to review the appointment, citing concerns about potential conflicts of interest and bias.