A Tesla worker and FSD Beta tester has been terminated over what the corporate states is a battle of curiosity. The worker in query, Jon Bernal, can also be the proprietor of the AI Addict YouTube channel, which options each informal and stress exams of Full Self-Driving Beta in real-world conditions.
Over the previous yr, Bernal shared quite a few movies of FSD Beta in motion, and being one of many system’s customers who sometimes pushes the superior driver-assist system to its limits, a few of his movies featured flaws and shortcomings in Full Self-Driving Beta’s capabilities. This included a somewhat dramatic video of FSD Beta 9 in downtown San Francisco, which featured a number of errors within the system’s maneuvers, in addition to an precise accident involving FSD Beta 10.10 in downtown San Jose, which featured Bernal’s Mannequin 3 hitting a site visitors bollard.
Following his termination from the corporate, Tesla opted to chop off Bernal’s entry to FSD Beta. This, in accordance with the previous worker, was even supposing he has not encountered any security strikes whereas utilizing the system. Bernal’s 2021 Tesla Mannequin 3 continues to be outfitted with the corporate’s Full Self-Driving suite, nonetheless, which was given to him as a free perk when he bought the car as an worker. Tesla’s FSD suite is presently provided as a $12,000 possibility, although it was priced at $8,000 when Bernal took supply of his Mannequin 3 in December 2020.
Bernal began his employment at Tesla in August 2020, working as an information annotation specialist in an workplace in San Mateo, California. As per data shared by the previous worker to CNBC, he was later moved into the position of superior driver help techniques check operator. He was terminated from the corporate on the second week of February 2022. Previous to his dismissal, Bernal acknowledged that managers verbally knowledgeable him that he “broke Tesla coverage” and that his AI Addict YouTube channel was a “battle of curiosity.”
Whereas Bernal did beforehand admit within the feedback part of one in every of his YouTube movies that he was a Tesla worker, the AI Addict channel doesn’t prominently point out or disclose that its host works for the EV maker. That being mentioned, Bernal maintains that he has been clear about his YouTube channel, even together with his colleagues at Tesla. He additionally maintains that he has by no means disclosed something in his movies that the corporate has not rolled out to the general public.
“The FSD Beta releases I used to be demonstrating have been end-user shopper merchandise,” the previous Tesla worker mentioned.
Whereas he can not use his private Mannequin 3 for FSD Beta movies at the moment, the previous worker famous that he has attained entry to different Teslas with FSD Beta. As such, Bernal famous that he ought to be capable of proceed his impartial analysis and evaluations. One such video has already been uploaded on the AI Addict YouTube channel, the place Bernal briefly mentioned his departure from Tesla earlier than taking FSD Beta in his typical stress exams.
Regardless of his experiences with the EV maker, Bernal has famous that he nonetheless cares loads in regards to the firm and what it’s making an attempt to perform with merchandise like Autopilot and FSD Beta. “I nonetheless care about Tesla, car security, and discovering and fixing bugs,” he mentioned.
Bernal’s newest video, which incorporates his ideas on his departure from Tesla, might be considered beneath.
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