Electric automaker Tesla has started rolling out version 12 of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta software to employees, CEO Elon Musk confirmed. This update reduces the amount of code in the software by over 300,000 lines, replacing some manually-programmed code with neural network architectures according to Musk.
The company states this architecture allows vehicles to learn driving behaviors from camera inputs. Tesla claims the update enables cars to recognize and respond to traffic signals, signs, and road conditions in an autonomous fashion.
In live-streamed demo in August, Musk showcased the updated software’s capabilities in navigating turns and stopping at intersections. He said the reduced codebase aims to improve system efficiency and sets the stage for more advanced self-driving capabilities going forward.
The FSD software remains in beta testing mode and is not yet available to general consumers. This significant rollout to Tesla employees marks a continued progression in the company’s pursuit of fully autonomous driving. Independent testing is still required to evaluate the performance improvements of this latest software update.