UFC Fighter Controversially Advertises Tesla’s Autopilot While Playing Smash Bros
Kevin Lee just wants to play videogames on the road. | Source: AP Photo/Mel Evans
Prominent UFC fighter, Kevin Lee has (round) kicked up some controversy after sharing a video of himself playing the Nintendo switch, while letting his Tesla drive itself.
The video in question, posted to Lee’s Instagram, depicted him driving on a highway on his way to Montreal… well not driving per se, because Lee was actually fairly engrossed in a game of Smash Bros; his sweet set-up allowing him to play a one v one while being utterly unaware of the road, or any of his surroundings. Rad.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2c4v5nnGlr/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again
Tesla + Smash Bros = Super Tesla Smash?
Clearly, beating Marth was of the utmost importance, as Lee didn’t take his eyes off the small screen for one second. Still, that didn’t save him from taking an ‘L’ early on in the video – should have been concentrating really…
According to Lee, his Momma wasn’t all too pleased when he sent her the video. Not too surprising considering he endangered himself and the lives of everyone around him.
My momma cussed me out when I sent her this video otw to Montréal but if my insurance go up I know it’s because instagram snitching
Technically, though, he snitched himself out.
Luckily besides the game, there was no actual smash. Although according to Telsa’s stringent policy on the autopiloting feature, there may well have been.
Autopilot is intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While Autopilot is designed to become more capable over time, in its current form, it is not a self-driving system.
Lee’s video was also posted in the aptly named “IdiotsInCars” subreddit; where some users emphasized the “stupidity” of Lee’s actions.
Honestly it’s Tesla’s fault for calling it auto pilot. It’s an assistant, not self driving. Of course idiots like this will come along if you call it auto pilot. People are just complete idiots.
Lee is perhaps a less culpable “idiot” given the fact that Telsa’s come packed with a myriad of entertainment features; including a range of games, “Caraoke,” and even a home theatre. However, the most attention siphoning features usually require the car to be in park setting to use.
What would Elon say…
Lee’s debacle probably highlights a greater issue behind autopilot technology. Far from the sci-fi reality we’re typically sold, Autopilot isn’t all its name suggests. It’s not just Tesla either; there are a plethora of car manufacturers now implementing “self-driving features” and marketing them as such. It’s becoming a problem.
One couple took this to another level, deciding to shoot some porn while their Telsa ‘drove itself’ in Autopilot. Luckily Pornhub reported the pair directly to Elon Musk for improper use of the self-driving feature:
To be fair, Tesla’s own report reveals one accident for every 2.91 million miles driven with Autopilot during Q4 of 2018.
Of course, just like any advancement in automation technology, Autopilot still requires a human touch and proper attention to avoid any mishaps. To quote the movie Fast & Furious, “it doesn’t matter what’s under the hood. The only thing that matters is who’s behind the wheel.”
