Not So Autonomous: Tesla Admits Humans Sometimes Remotely Drive Its Robotaxis

The company built its brand on full autonomy. Turns out, there’s a person at a desk who can grab the wheel.

Tesla has acknowledged that its robotaxis are not always driving themselves. In a letter sent to Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and made public this week, the electric-vehicle maker revealed that human workers can sometimes take direct control of its autonomous vehicles when things get tricky.

The admission came as part of an investigation launched by Senator Markey in February into how self-driving car companies use remote human operators. Tesla was one of seven companies that responded to the senator’s detailed questions about their practices.

Karen Steakley, Tesla’s director of public policy and business development, explained in the March 26 letter that while the company’s vehicles operate autonomously under normal conditions, the company has built in a human backup.

“As a redundancy measure in rare cases … RAO [remote assistance operators] are authorized to temporarily assume direct vehicle control as the final escalation maneuver after all other available intervention actions have been exhausted,” Steakley wrote, according to documents released by Senator Markey’s office.

How Tesla’s remote control works

The system is not designed for highway driving. Steakley told the senator that remote operators can only take “temporary control of the vehicle” when it is moving at 2 miles per hour or slower. Once the vehicle’s software grants direct access, the operator can drive it remotely at speeds up to 10 miles per hour.

“This capability enables Tesla to promptly move a vehicle that may be in a compromising position,” Steakley wrote, adding that it helps avoid waiting for a first responder or a field worker to come and retrieve the car.

Tesla’s remote assistance operators are in-house employees working from two locations: Austin, Texas, where the company operates its robotaxi service, and Palo Alto, California. Steakley noted that the Palo Alto team provides “an added layer of redundancy” for the Austin service.

According to Tesla, these operators must hold a valid US driver’s license for at least three years, maintain a clean driving record, pass background checks, and undergo Department of Transportation drug testing.

A different approach than rivals

Tesla’s method stands apart from how other self-driving companies handle human intervention.

In response to Senator Markey’s investigation, six other companies, including Waymo, Zoox, and Nuro, insisted that their remote workers never actually drive the vehicles. Instead, they provide suggestions or answer questions that the autonomous software can choose to accept or ignore.

Waymo, for example, has said its “RA agents” offer advice to the Waymo Driver but “do not directly control, steer, or drive the vehicle.” The company confirmed that roughly half of its remote assistance workforce is based in the Philippines.

Senator Markey’s report noted that “overseas remote assistance introduces unnecessary risk to Waymo’s operations — risks that no other AV company is taking.”

Tesla, by contrast, keeps its remote operators in the United States.

Tesla’s silence on key details

Tesla declined to share how often its remote operators actually take control of vehicles. Steakley wrote in her letter that answering those questions “would necessarily reveal highly sensitive trade secrets and confidential business practices” that are “fundamental to maintaining [Tesla’s] competitive position in the AV industry.”

The company disbanded its public relations team in 2020 and did not respond to requests for comment from multiple news outlets.

Tesla launched its robotaxi ride-hailing service in Austin in June 2025. According to the company, most of its roughly 50 robotaxis still operate with human safety operators sitting in the front passenger seat. A handful reportedly operate without safety drivers, making the remote assistance system particularly important.

Senator Markey has sent a letter to Jonathan Morrison, the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), urging the agency to investigate the autonomous vehicle industry’s remote-assistance practices.

The senator also announced that he is working on legislation to impose federal standards on how self-driving companies use remote operators. The proposed rules would cover operator qualifications, response times, operator locations, and reporting requirements.

For more on Elon Musk’s latest moves, check out how he’s reshaping xAI amid employee turnover and layoffs — and what it signals for the company’s future.

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