Jul 21, 2016

Geoff Nunberg on the controversy over Tesla’s “autopilot” name

From the Los Angeles Times

Controversy over Tesla 'autopilot' name keeps growing

By Russ Mitchell

What’s in a name? For Tesla’s driver-assist system “autopilot,” plenty of controversy.

Some of the most enthusiastic proponents of autonomous vehicles and features are worried that autopilot — not the technology itself, but the very name, which some find misleading — might slow down the evolution of the driverless car....

Autopilot is the term used for aviation electronics that allow a trained pilot and an automatic system to share duties flying a plane, and it’s got a cool, high-tech connotation. 

“People familiar with the operation of aviation systems know that,” Geoffrey Nunberg, a linguist at UC Berkeley and contributor to the radio show “Fresh Air,” said in a telephone interview. But not the average person. To the public at large, he said, “autopilot refers to a state when you’re not applying thought, concentration and effort to what you’re doing.”

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Last updated:

October 4, 2016