The Apple co-founder recently went on air to share some harsh words about Tesla's self-driving effort, saying that studying Tesla's self-driving feature would show how AI is trying to kill people.
Wozniak has had a like-dislike relationship with Tesla over the years; the statement he released is the latest he made in his dislike streak.
Steve Wozniak vs. Tesla Details
Wozniak mentioned in a televised interview on CNN that Tesla's self-driving efforts and technology are found wanting, and that any Tesla actively using it is "incredibly unsafe" to drive, per Futurism.
The Apple co-founder said that if anyone wants to "study of AI gone wrong and taking a lot of claims and trying to kill you every chance it can," they should get a Tesla.
Wozniak speaks from experience. Although he didn't get into any vehicular incidents with his Teslas, he did note that he experienced several phantom braking issues with his Model S in an interview with Steve-O Glover of Jackass fame, causing him to significantly slow down while driving on the interstate.
At the time, specifically in 2013, Tesla CEO Elon Musk convinced Wozniak to buy a Model S; he led with the car being capable of driving itself across the country before 2016 ends. Wozniak mentioned he actually believed Musk's statement but eventually didn't, arguing that Tesla's self-driving software could kill its occupants.
The Model S Wozniak mentioned is the same Model S he bought after Musk chastised him for buying a gas guzzler in 2013; Wozniak would later publicly admit his enthusiasm for his new Model S and even his visits to Tesla's Superchargers, per Electrek.
Wozniak bought a Chevy Bolt EV that he previously considered making as the vehicle he'd drive every day, but he ended up buying another Model S after Tesla released Autopilot 2.0 - the target of Wozniak's criticisms.
The Apple co-founder's criticisms aren't unfounded. Tesla has been the target of investigations and lawsuits due to its self-driving technology being blamed for the deaths of countless people. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in its first batch of data for semi-autonomous driving technology, found that Tesla vehicles that have their self-driving feature engaged have caused the most vehicular accidents of all the vehicles with one.
However, NHTSA head Steven Cliff mentioned that the data presented in the report doesn't offer any conclusions, stating that Tesla vehicles may have had the most crashes because they are some of the most common semi-autonomous cars.
Related Article: 10 Things To Know About Steve Wozniak, Apple's Lesser-Known Steve
Examples Of Tesla Self-Driving Technology Fatalities
The NHTSA has been investigating Tesla killing other people or their own occupants over the past years. In May 2022, a Tesla Model with its autopilot on was involved in a fatal car accident, resulting in the deaths of three people.
Meanwhile, a Tesla Model 3 with its autopilot engaged was caught in a crash at Draper, Utah on July 24, 2022 - it collided with 34-year-old motorcyclist Dashawn Holland, who was driving in front of the speeding Tesla while the car was merging into his lane.
