Self-Driving

Chinese Drivers Are Using Tiny Plastic Heads to Fool Tesla’s Autopilot Safeguards

2026-06-12 · WIRED

Chinese drivers have spawned a whole cottage industry of fake heads, blinking screens, and other DIY gadgets specifically designed to trick Tesla's Autopilot into thinking someone's paying attention. Nothing says 'advanced AI safety system' quite like being outsmarted by a plastic celebrity figurine from a street vendor. Tesla's driver monitoring AI is apparently less perceptive than a mall security guard.

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