Tesla Lays Off 200 Autopilot Workers in San Mateo—Why?

Isaiah Richard, Tech Times 28 June 2022, 10:06 pm

There are layoffs from Tesla now, which is part of the company's massive job reduction ventures that bring a different focus from the manufacturer, especially with its current ventures. The focus of the layoffs are on the Autopilot workers in the San Mateo office, and there have been 200 workers that lost their job from Tesla.

Tesla Lay Offs: 200 Workers Face Unemployment in San Mateo

(Photo : Unsplash/Bram Van Oost)
Tesla

Bloomberg first reported that there were layoffs in Tesla, which focused on approximately 200 workers in the Autopilot branch of the company who will not see a future with the company moving forward. The company removed the employees who concentrated on the data annotation, and its team received this notice earlier, and it is official now.

The workers from the San Mateo office saw this layoff, and the California-based branch of the company has 276 workers in total for its Autopilot data annotation. Tesla fired 195 employees, including workers and executives in the department, leaving the company with 81 workers left behind after the major layoffs, says Tech Crunch.

Why is Tesla Firing Autopilot Workers in San Mateo?

Tesla also has a data annotation team in Buffalo, New York, but it is unknown if the company will also lay off its workers in this office. The remaining 81 workers from San Mateo will see a relocation to other company offices to continue their work and tenure within Tesla.

It also remains a mystery why Tesla axed its employees from the San Mateo office, but there are speculations regarding a higher wage cost in San Mateo compared to Buffalo.

Tesla and its Autopilot Ventures

The Autopilot system of the company has had its ups and downs for a long time now, and there are a lot of people that bring its approach to many tests regarding its safety features, as well as issues. Previous disputes include using the Autopilot without a seatbelt and the driver on the seat, and there have been proofs from users regarding this happenings.

However, there are still efforts to develop the Tesla Autopilot for its progression over the years, and the company is focusing on bringing these features to all. The Tesla Dojo is its AI trainer that aims to help Autopilot to be better. It is also the technology that the company uses for its FSD feature that brings an autonomous driving experience for all.

Tesla's Autopilot is a technology that few drivers use for their convenience now, as most use the next-level system of the company, which is the Full Self-Driving feature. It may be the case why Tesla is laying off employees in its Autopilot department, but there are no specific releases or information from the company that claims this reason for its axing.

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Written by Isaiah Richard