Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software is approaching another critical juncture, with new updates set to reshape the operational standards for autonomous vehicles. CEO Elon Musk recently signaled major changes during a discussion at the xAI Hackathon, confirming that Tesla will begin removing Robotaxi Safety Monitors in Austin, Texas, within weeks. This move will mark a shift toward unsupervised vehicle operation in Tesla’s growing Robotaxi fleet, highlighting not just software advancements but also the company’s hardware ambitions. Industry observers and drivers alike have been eagerly awaiting these developments as Tesla attempts to address both regulatory concerns and technical limitations.
Over the last year, Tesla has introduced several major updates, such as FSD v14 and v14.2, that improved vehicle autonomy but continued to rely on some form of driver oversight. Earlier statements from Musk set optimistic timelines for self-driving capabilities, but regulatory and technical challenges led to delays. Although the company maintains confidence in the progress of its Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), users have reported issues, especially in complex urban driving scenarios. Now, new statements from Musk suggest a degree of certainty and urgency not seen before, contrasting with more conservative prior messaging.
How Soon Will Tesla Remove Robotaxi Safety Monitors?
According to Musk, the removal of Safety Monitors from Robotaxi vehicles will take place in Austin within the next three weeks. This adjustment is premised on recent confidence in the system’s data validation, which he believes satisfies most safety parameters needed for limited deployment. With these upcoming changes, the public can expect to see unsupervised vehicles on selected roads in the near future.
What’s Next for Tesla’s FSD Software?
Tesla plans to introduce a new FSD model within one to two months, with Musk describing it as substantially larger and more advanced than current iterations. The model aims to significantly expand its reasoning abilities by integrating additional reinforcement learning. Musk stated,
“There’s a model that’s an order of magnitude larger that will be deployed in January or February 2026. We’re gonna add a lot of reasoning and RL (reinforcement learning).”
From a technical perspective, the upgrade is designed to close persistent capability gaps previously observed in public road testing.
Will Tesla Face Production Constraints as FSD Expands?
Addressing the hardware requirements for broader FSD deployment, Musk outlined the need for high-output AI chips and mentioned the potential of constructing a dedicated fabrication facility. He explained,
“To get to serious scale, Tesla will probably need to build a giant chip fab. To have a few hundred gigawatts of AI chips per year, I don’t see that capability coming online fast enough, so we will probably have to build a fab.”
This infrastructure expansion underlines the company’s commitment to supporting the computational demands of large-scale autonomous vehicle operations.
While optimism surrounds these technological milestones, some users continue to raise concerns about the system’s limitations, particularly in unpredictable driving environments. Tesla’s incremental rollbacks of driver monitoring features—such as relaxing alert prompts for drivers looking away from the road—suggest gradual shifts toward a hands-off experience. However, FSD’s ability to navigate diverse traffic settings without intervention remains a focus for both supporters and critics.
Tesla’s advance toward unsupervised driving highlights the complex blend of artificial intelligence, regulatory scrutiny, and market expectations that define the autonomous vehicle sector. For consumers, the new updates may signal enhanced driver convenience, but thorough validation and infrastructure development will dictate the pace and scope of widespread adoption. Drivers considering an investment in Tesla’s ADAS offerings should weigh software improvements and the planned hardware expansion against real-world performance reviews and ongoing regulatory developments.
