Tesla just admitted under oath that its robotaxis are sometimes secretly controlled by remote human drivers Published on Apr 06, 2026 at 7:38 PM (UTC+4) by Jason Fan Last updated on Apr 06, 2026 at 7:38 PM (UTC+4) Edited by Jason Fan Tesla Robotaxis have long been pitched as fully autonomous, but new revelations show that remote human drivers are sometimes still part of the equation. This bombshell raises big questions about juts how ‘self-driving’ these cars really are. The disclosure came through official letters submitted to US Senator Ed Markey, offering one of the clearest looks yet at how autonomous vehicles operate behind the scenes. As it turns out, humans have a bigger part to play in these autonomous EVs than we originally thought. Human operators are only supposed to provide guidance At the heart of the issue is something called ‘remote assistance,’ a system used across the autonomous vehicle (AV) industry. When a self-driving car gets confused, stuck, or encounters an unusual situation, human operators step in to help. Most companies insist these humans only provide guidance, leaving the car’s software to make the final decision. But Tesla stands apart. In its response, Tesla confirmed that its remote operators can, in rare cases, take direct control of a vehicle. These interventions are limited to low speeds, typically under 2 mph, or up to 10 mph if conditions allow. The goal is simple: move the car out of tricky or potentially dangerous situations. Still, the idea that a ‘driverless’ car might quietly be driven by a human, even briefly, is enough to spark debate. Senator Markey was not impressed. He criticized companies for refusing to disclose how often these interventions happen, calling it a major transparency gap. Without that data, it is difficult for regulators or the public to