I always thought I was a decent driver (my wife disagrees)—until my Tesla started driving better than me.
My car downloaded Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) version 13 a month ago and Tesla gave me another free demo month. I showed it off to my mom who was visiting from Canada - and she preferred it’s driving over mine the whole time.
It’s scary good.
The first time I saw FSD handle a narrow, one-lane neighborhood road, yielding to oncoming traffic before proceeding at just the right moment, I did a double-take.
That wasn’t just following the rules; it was understanding the flow of traffic, like a seasoned driver would. This incorporates human courtesy and non-formal unwritten rules of behavior on the road.
Then, in another instance, it smoothly yielded and let a merging car in—without hesitation, without awkwardness. It felt… like a super polite human.
That’s when it hit me: AI isn’t just improving. It’s accelerating at an exponential rate. FSD is one of the clearest examples of this transformation, and if this progress continues, we’re looking at AI that doesn’t just match human intelligence—it surpasses it.
the exponential leap in ai capabilities
from explicit code to end-to-end neural networks
Traditional self-driving systems relied on explicit rules: If X happens, do Y.
Tesla’s FSD Beta v12 threw that out the window, replacing over 300,000 lines of C++ code with a single end-to-end neural network trained on millions of real-world driving videos. It was an entirely new approach.
Instead of following pre-programmed instructions, the AI now learns like a human driver—by seeing and doing.
fsd 13: tesla’s biggest breakthrough yet
Tesla’s latest update, FSD 13, represents its most significant leap forward. Here’s why:
- More autonomous than ever → it can now navigate without human intervention in most scenarios.
- Tripled reliability → version 13 increased its “miles driven between interventions” metric 150% from the previous version.
- AI training surge → tesla has ramped up training by 400% in 2024, rapidly accelerating improvements.
- Dojo Supercomputer → this Tesla-built AI powerhouse is designed to process vast amounts of driving data, cutting training times dramatically.
ai’s rapid progress isn’t just about tesla
Tesla’s advancements are jaw-dropping, but they’re not happening in isolation. The entire AI industry is racing forward:
- OpenAI’s O3 Model → Introduces next-gen reasoning, breaking down complex problems logically and minimizing hallucinations. This has major implications for AI’s role in industries like law, medicine, and finance. I’ve personally used the o1 model to help me strategize my tax structure - and it’s just as accurate (and more patient) than my accountant.
- DeepSeek’s R1 Model → A Chinese AI startup has outperformed some of OpenAI’s models, shaking up the competitive landscape. The AI race is now global—and competition means even faster progress.
what’s next? superhuman driving & beyond
Elon Musk has predicted that Tesla will achieve superhuman driving capabilities by mid-2025. If true, this raises massive questions:
- Does Tesla flip the switch? If FSD reaches a level statistically safer than human drivers, does Tesla push for full autonomy?
- Regulatory challenges → Governments worldwide will have to decide when AI can legally replace humans behind the wheel.
- Beyond driving → If AI can master something as complex as navigating chaotic roads, what else can it take over? Logistics? Healthcare? Personal assistants that anticipate needs before you even express them?
Everywhere we look, AI is improving at a staggering pace. A few years ago, self-driving cars seemed like a pipe dream. Now, Tesla’s FSD 13 is driving better than humans in many scenarios.
The real question isn’t if AI will surpass us in more areas—it’s when. And at this rate, that moment is coming faster than we ever imagined.
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