This Week in Tech (Audio) TWiT 1043: It All Starts With Baby Shark - Tesla's $240 Million Bill for FSD Crash
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Aug 4, 2025 
This week features Richard Campbell, a tech expert and whiskey aficionado, Brian McCullough, an internet historian, and Mike Elgan, a tech columnist with a flair for culinary travel. The trio delves into Tesla's hefty $240 million legal blow for an Autopilot crash, sparking discussions on self-driving technology and liability. They also unpack Apple's recent revenue surge and its foray into AI, alongside the economic ramifications of AI salary inflation. The conversation humorously navigates the evolving landscape of podcasting and cybersecurity challenges.
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Tesla Autopilot Crash Lawsuit
- A Tesla Autopilot crash resulted in a $240 million jury award against Tesla for partly defective vehicle and misleading branding.
- The driver dropped his phone, trusted full self-driving, and failed to disengage Autopilot, causing a fatal accident involving pedestrians.
Tesla’s Sensor Strategy Risks Safety
- Tesla’s use of camera-only sensors, rejecting radar, limits its autopilot safety.
- Competing autonomous vehicles use combined sensors, resulting in safer performance.
Apple’s AI Answers Team
- Apple created a new 'Answers' AI team to build chat GPT-like search tools leveraging in-house AI.
- This aims to reduce dependence on external AI providers like Perplexity and reshape Apple's AI strategy.