That claim was disproved.
You should be able to acknowledge the pace of development of FSD and hardware/software transitions and updates in the software development environment.
However, because I know you wouldn't be satisfied with mere truth, I'll give you the article:
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Mark Rober's main claim in his March 2025 video—that Tesla's camera-based autonomy (specifically, what he presented as its "self-driving" capabilities) could be easily fooled by optical illusions like a painted fake wall or child mannequin, while LiDAR systems weren't—has been widely disputed and effectively disproved by subsequent recreations, analyses, and community testing. Key Reasons and Evidence:- Outdated or Misrepresented Tesla Tech: Rober used Tesla's basic Autopilot (a driver-assist feature, not true self-driving), not the more advanced Full Self-Driving (FSD) system on newer hardware (e.g., HW4). Critics pointed out the video's title and framing were misleading, as Autopilot isn't designed for full autonomy.
yahoo.com +2
Multiple recreations with FSD engaged (versions like v12 or v13) showed the car detecting and stopping for the same obstacles, contradicting his results.
carscoops.com +1
- Recreations and Debunks: Tesla owners and YouTubers replicated the tests using proper FSD settings and found the car avoided the illusions. For instance, one test showed FSD v13 passing the "painted wall test" while an older v12 failed, highlighting software evolution.
teslaoracle.com
Videos like "Mark Rober Debunked - You can't fool a HW4 Tesla using FSD!" (by creators such as Kyle Paul) went viral, demonstrating successes where Rober's setup failed.
Another called it "BS," alleging editing tricks or disengagement of features before impact.
youtube.com +1
- Bias and Sponsorship Concerns: The video was accused of being a veiled promotion for Luminar (a LiDAR company), with Rober's ties to its founder noted. Luminar's CEO was later ousted amid an ethics inquiry, adding fuel to skepticism.
reddit.com +3
Rober released raw footage to defend himself, but it didn't sway many, leading to backlash like lost subscribers. - Ongoing Discussion: As of December 2025, X posts and articles still reference it as "debunked" or "faked," with Tesla enthusiasts calling it rigged for clicks or anti-Tesla bias.
facebook.com +1
While not every critique is unanimous (some defend the video's intent to highlight tech limitations), the preponderance of evidence from real-world FSD tests shows his specific claim doesn't hold up.
In short, yes—his claim has been disproved through better-controlled experiments using Tesla's actual self-driving tech. It's a reminder that autonomy software evolves rapidly, and tests need to reflect current capabilities.
I'm quite sure these sources aren't enough for you but you will need to do your own digging if you want to argue the points above. |
