Tesla Motors Chief Executive Elon Musk stated on Monday that, following the operational launch of fully autonomous vehicles without safety drivers in Texas, he anticipates this technology will see broader adoption across the United States in the latter half of this year. Speaking via video link at the Tel Aviv Smart Mobility Summit, Musk noted that driverless autonomous vehicles are already operating in Texas, and this model is expected to expand nationwide within the year. Amid a recent slowdown in Tesla's vehicle sales growth, the company has deployed autonomous ride-hailing services in Austin, Dallas, and Houston. However, firsthand reports indicate issues such as extended wait times, frequent unavailability of vehicles, and drop-off points sometimes being far from passenger destinations. In November of last year, Tesla received approval to operate a ride-hailing service in Arizona. Over the past decade, Musk has made numerous bold predictions about the autonomous driving industry, most of which have yet to materialize as forecasted. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic that unmanned autonomous vehicles will become ubiquitous within ten years. He remarked, "In five years, and certainly within ten, about ninety percent of miles driven on roads will be handled by the AI systems of autonomous vehicles. A decade from now, human-driven cars will be a very niche activity." This month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that Tesla is recalling 218,868 vehicles in the U.S. due to a delay in the rearview camera display, which could increase the risk of accidents. Separately, Waymo, the autonomous driving unit under Alphabet, recalled approximately 3,800 autonomous taxis in the U.S. last week. The recall was prompted by safety concerns that the vehicles might enter flooded areas with higher speed limits, raising questions about their safety. During the summit, Musk also revealed that his aerospace company, SpaceX, is nearing the development of a fully reusable rocket launch system. This technological breakthrough is expected to significantly reduce the cost of space travel. He stated, "We are hopeful to achieve this milestone within the year. Once this technology is realized, it will mark a pivotal moment in human history, advancing us toward becoming an interplanetary civilization." Musk further mentioned that his brain-computer interface company, Neuralink, plans to implant its first visual aid device for the blind or visually impaired in the second half of this year, aiming to restore vision to these individuals. He explained that the initial device will provide limited vision, with the potential for future iterations to achieve high-definition, precise vision, possibly even surpassing human visual capabilities. He added that the company is concurrently developing technologies to help paralyzed individuals regain the ability to stand and walk. Musk believes that humanoid robots will become prevalent across various industries in about a decade. As robots enhance societal productivity, this could lead to economic growth and potentially high incomes for all.
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