Re:Honda's now selling the first production car with level 3...
by ineedasername on Thursday March 04, 2021 @11:17PM
(#26352625)
The average consumer is not familiar enough with the limits of automated avionics to understand the limits of commercial jets' autopilot.
If the average consumer was also an airline pilot then it would make sense to use an industry term with nuanced meaning. Instead, the average consumer assumes a straightforward meaning of the term, especially with pop culture throwing out phrases like "planes practically fly themselves these days".
Claiming "autopilot is technically correct" would only approach being true if Tesla & others went into great detail to educate buyers about the limits of the avionic autopilot features referenced by the term, and difficulties of flying a plane in non-optimal conditions, so they actually understood the "technical" meaning and could apply it correctly to the car they're buying.
If the average consumer was also an airline pilot then it would make sense to use an industry term with nuanced meaning. Instead, the average consumer assumes a straightforward meaning of the term, especially with pop culture throwing out phrases like "planes practically fly themselves these days".
Claiming "autopilot is technically correct" would only approach being true if Tesla & others went into great detail to educate buyers about the limits of the avionic autopilot features referenced by the term, and difficulties of flying a plane in non-optimal conditions, so they actually understood the "technical" meaning and could apply it correctly to the car they're buying.