[Digital Today reporter Seung-a Yoo] Tesla's promotion of unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) is spreading into calls in U.S. politics for safety verification. In the United States, constant driver supervision is still required when using Tesla FSD, but controversy is growing over regulation and consumer misunderstanding as Elon Musk continues to send messages that could be taken as suggesting unsupervised operation is possible.

On Sept. 13 (local time), electric vehicle outlet CleanTechnica reported that Tesla is trying to expand unsupervised FSD technology in major markets including the United States. In the United States, however, FSD is currently treated as a driver-assistance technology rather than an autonomous driving system, and requires continuous driver supervision.

U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (라자 크리슈나무르티) also stressed in a Sept. 10 news release that Tesla's Autopilot and FSD "require active driver supervision and are not autonomous driving systems."

Scrutiny of the safety of Tesla FSD has also intensified. Krishnamoorthi pointed out that in a previous Autopilot probe, authorities judged that Tesla's system did not sufficiently ensure drivers stayed attentive and used the technology properly. He said the system has significant control authority over the vehicle, but the safeguards to keep drivers attentive have not been put in place to match that.

Videos posted on social media also added to the controversy. NBC News verified 17 videos this year alone showing drivers sleeping or not properly supervising FSD. The number of related videos verified over several years reached 43.

Elon Musk shared a video on X, formerly Twitter, on Sept. 9 of a 98-year-old Tesla driver. The driver said in the video that he no longer supervises FSD when passing through intersections. With Tesla requiring driver supervision, Musk's promotion of such a video alongside unsupervised FSD has fueled the controversy.

Warning language in the FSD software was also cited as an issue. Wired reported that Tesla's FSD software update 2025.32.3 was said to include messages such as, "Drowsiness detected. Stay focused with FSD," and "Lane departure detected. Get help from FSD to stay focused."

Krishnamoorthi said it is a safety contradiction to instruct drivers to use FSD to stay focused even when drowsiness is detected. In a letter sent on Sept. 9 to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy (숀 더피), he said, "FSD requires continuous human supervision, but this message appears to encourage system use at the very moment the vehicle detects that the driver’s ability to supervise has diminished."

Obstacles are also expected in the Chinese market. Tesla is pushing to expand FSD not only in the United States but also in major overseas markets, but in China national security concerns have been raised over sensors installed in vehicles related to FSD. Tesla's structure, which relies heavily on cameras in the FSD system, is also becoming a subject of safety debate.

In the robotaxi business, reckless user behavior has emerged as a new issue. Tesla accessory company Basenor said on Sept. 10 that the Tesla robotaxi network is applying a zero-tolerance principle to users who deliberately jump in front of a Cybercab to test emergency braking or reaction speed. The sanction currently known is to suspend service use for seven days.

Basenor also noted that Tesla can identify such behavior and link it to specific user accounts. It said Tesla can detect intentional pedestrian obstruction through in-cabin cameras, external sensors and fleet remote data, and identify the user involved.

As Tesla speeds up expansion of unsupervised FSD and its robotaxi business, scrutiny is extending beyond the technology's actual performance to driver supervision, user safety and the way the technology is promoted.

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