Tesla Retires 'Autopilot' Name Amid Scrutiny
Tesla has officially removed the 'Autopilot' name from its driver-assistance software suite in a new update. The rebranding is likely a response to years of legal and brand risk associated with the term, potentially affecting user perception and regulatory conversations.
The software update rolling out as version 2026.2.9 rebrands "Navigate on Autopilot" to "Navigate on Autosteer" and the "FSD Computer" to the "AI Computer". Despite the name changes, Tesla has stated that the underlying behavior and functionality of the features remain unchanged. This rebranding follows a ruling from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) which found the "Autopilot" and "Full Self-Driving" names to be misleading and in violation of state law. Tesla was threatened with a 30-day suspension of its dealer and manufacturer licenses in California if it failed to comply with the required changes. A December 2025 ruling by an administrative law judge sided with the DMV, stating that Tesla's use of "Autopilot" followed "a long but unlawful tradition" of misleading consumers. The judge was even more critical of the "Full Self-Driving" name, calling it "actually, unambiguously false and counterfactual." Despite complying with the DMV's mandate to change the names, Tesla has since filed a lawsuit against the agency. The company is seeking to reverse the administrative ruling that found it guilty of false advertising, arguing the claim is "baseless." The naming controversy is part of a wider pattern of scrutiny from federal regulators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has multiple ongoing investigations into Tesla's driver-assistance systems related to hundreds of crashes, including some with fatalities. In late 2023, the NHTSA's findings led to a recall of over 2 million Tesla vehicles to update software. The investigation concluded that the system's method for ensuring driver attentiveness was inadequate and that driver misuse was a foreseeable consequence of the design. Research has indicated that the "Autopilot" name itself influenced user perception. A 2018 study found the name was associated with the highest likelihood of drivers believing it was safe to perform unsafe actions, like taking their hands off the wheel, compared to other driver-assist system names. Even with the most advanced "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)" package, Tesla's systems are classified as Level 2 automation by the SAE. This designation legally requires the driver to remain fully engaged, keep their hands on the wheel, and be prepared to take control at any moment.
