[atonse]

See my comment above. Autopilot is a perfect name. Co-Pilots on an aircraft are a full-redundancy to the pilot. They are also there to do every single function in case a pilot is not able to.

Autopilot is an assistive feature that helps with monotony and boredom, just like this.

[reitzensteinm]

So the name will convey the right message to anyone with flight time? And this makes it perfect?

[atonse]

Look at what I say – It is the job of the media to properly explain this to the public, instead of stoking fears that the name is inappropriate and misleading. That's the media's mission.

[bllguo]

So why does the media have to take on this burden because Tesla intentionally chose a misleading name? Why is it not Tesla's job to properly explain its own technology? You can't be telling me Tesla was not fully aware what "autopilot" suggests to people.

[atonse]

Autopilot is the exactly accurate name for what the feature does. I answered this earlier:

Autopilot on an aircraft doesn't absolve the pilots from being at the wheel (yoke), nor does it automatically take off or land a plane. It is literally "I'll follow this heading and altitude until you tell me otherwise, and will make glide path and heading corrections as needed", which is EXACTLY what Tesla's Autopilot feature does. There are other warning systems for air collisions, etc.

Tesla has a name for their autonomous driving – it's called Full Self Driving. And it isn't out yet, to anyone. It's basically vaporware for the next few years.

[fuzz4lyfe]

Then the media should call it cruise control.

[atonse]

The media should actually explain the common misconception with the word Autopilot, and why people should understand what Autopilot actually means, not that Tesla is somehow being nefarious.