Pursuing self-driving technology requires substantial investment, according to a recent social media post by Elon Musk. Tesla’s cumulative investment in its self-driving program is projected to exceed $10 billion this year, while its fleet has seen a $250 billion investment, with a significant portion expected to achieve autonomous driving capabilities in the future. The development of generalized self-driving technology has proven to be extremely challenging, necessitating investments in training compute, data pipelines, and video storage that will exceed $10 billion this year.
Despite the vast investment, Tesla’s self-driving program is already generating some revenue, albeit limited at present. Comparatively, another major company spent $10 billion on a vehicle that never materialized, highlighting the tangible progress made by Tesla in its self-driving efforts. Elon Musk emphasizes that Tesla’s investment in self-driving technology represents a significant and worthwhile use of resources, showcasing tangible progress in the field.