Elon Musk says Tesla HW4 will run Unsupervised Self Driving

In a reassuring update for Tesla owners, CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that the company’s current Hardware 4 (HW4), also known as AI4, is fully capable of running unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) at safety levels far exceeding those of human drivers. This statement directly addresses growing concerns among Tesla enthusiasts about potential hardware incompatibility.

The confirmation came in response to positive user feedback on HW4 performance, with Musk simply replying “Yup” to a report highlighting the system’s capabilities. This brief affirmation has significant implications for millions of Tesla vehicles equipped with HW4, signaling that no extra hardware upgrades will be necessary to run Unsupervised FSD.

Tesla’s FSD technology has evolved with speed in the past, transitioning from supervised assistance to increasingly autonomous operation. Unsupervised FSD represents a major leap in this technology.

It enables the vehicle to navigate complex real-world scenarios without human intervention, while demonstrating superior safety statistics. Musk’s assurance suggests HW4’s computational power and sensor suite are sufficient for this milestone, even as the company develops next-generation chips like AI5.

Source – Tesla

For recent Tesla buyers, this news sidelines concerns sparked by announcements of more advanced hardware. Many worried that HW4 vehicles might require retrofits to keep pace with future software advancements. Instead, Tesla appears poised to leverage ongoing neural network improvements and over-the-air updates to unlock unsupervised capability across its existing fleet.

It could be a good thing for the existing owners, maximizing their vehicle value while researching more advanced autonomous hardware. However, the road to unsupervised FSD will have to go through a lot of model training, in which case, the company is already working on FSD data center capacity in its facility.

Meanwhile, the EV maker is offering Unsupervised Robotaxi rides in Austin in a geofenced area. These robotaxi vehicles don’t have any additional hardware; instead, they are just factory-produced Model Ys.