--- title: "Steve Wozniak: If You Want to Learn About AI Killing People, “Get a Tesla”" description: "In a CNN interview, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak claimed that a Tesla is \"trying to kill you every chance it can.\"" date: "2023-05-04" modified: "2023-05-05" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/steve-wozniak-ai-killing-people-tesla" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Tesla" tags: - "autopilot" - "steve wozniak" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Steve Wozniak: If You Want to Learn About AI Killing People, “Get a Tesla” ![In a CNN interview, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak claimed that a Tesla is "trying to kill you every chance it can."]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Tesla Killer Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has some harsh words for Tesla. In a new interview, Wozniak argued that the Elon Musk-led company's self-driving efforts leave a lot to be desired — and are actively making Teslas incredibly unsafe to drive. "And boy, if you want a study of AI gone wrong and taking a lot of claims and trying to kill you every chance it can, get a Tesla," Wozniak told *CNN* earlier this week during a televised interview, as [quoted by *Electrek*](). While comparing the current AI chatbot discourse to the dangers of self-driving cars might sound a touch disingenuous, the Apple cofounder does make a compelling point: There do appear to be very real risks involved in allowing your Tesla to take over the wheel. ## Autopilot Off Wozniak has long been a critic of Tesla's Autopilot software, arguing that the reality falls far short of Tesla's lofty claims. Last year, Wozniak recalled the "[phantom braking]()" issues that were plaguing him while driving his Model S in an [interview]() with Stephen "Steve-O" Glover, causing him to slow down significantly while driving on the interstate. "This is so dangerous!" he told Glover at the time. "It’s happened to us a hundred times, at least, because we drive so much." Musk reportedly convinced Wozniak to buy a Model S back in 2013. At the time, Musk told him that the car "would drive itself across the country by the end of 2016," Wozniak told *CNN*. "I actually believed those things, and it’s not even close to reality," he added, arguing that the software could end up killing the occupant. ## Investigated Wozniak's off-the-cuff remark does have some truth to it. We've seen [numerous fatal collisions]() involving Tesla's Autopilot feature over the years. Meanwhile, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [announced]() back in 2021 that it was investigating the EV maker over a series of accidents in which Teslas have smashed into pulled-over emergency response vehicles. Then last year, [news emerged]() that the Justice Department is also investigating more than a dozen crashes involving Autopilot, some fatal. The carmaker [eventually confirmed]() the news to investors in January. Despite Tesla's controversial marketing and Musk's [repeated promises](), its vehicles are not able to fully drive themselves in 2023 and require the driver to watch the road and take over at any time — and, as Wozniak has discovered first hand, there's a very good reason for that. **More on Wozniak:** *[Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Is Launching His Own Space Company]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()