Summary:
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Mark Rober faces backlash for Tesla vs. LiDAR video accused of misleading viewers and possible financial motives. Critics question experiment’s fairness.
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Speculation arises over Rober’s alleged business connection to LiDAR company as Tesla stock drops and Luminar’s shares soar.
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Controversy surrounds Rober’s experiment testing Tesla Autopilot, leaving fans to wonder about transparency and motives.
Mark Rober, the beloved YouTuber and former NASA engineer, is facing intense backlash over his latest video, Can You Fool a Self-Driving Car? The experiment, which pits Tesla’s Autopilot against a LiDAR-equipped vehicle in extreme obstacle tests, is being accused of misleading viewers. Critics argue that Rober never actually tested Tesla’s Full Self-Driving mode—only Autopilot, which isn’t designed for full autonomy.
Even more suspicious, some eagle-eyed viewers claim Rober may have deactivated Autopilot right before impact, making Tesla’s performance look even worse. As the controversy unfolds, fans are left questioning whether the experiment was a fair test or a deliberate hit piece.
Things get even murkier when financial motives come into play. According to online speculation, Rober failed to disclose an alleged business connection to a LiDAR company, potentially violating transparency guidelines. This timing is crucial—after Rober’s video went viral, Tesla stock dropped by 5%, while LiDAR company Luminar’s shares soared 27%.
With Elon Musk’s long-standing opposition to LiDAR technology and Tesla’s vision-based approach to autonomy, many are wondering—was this just a science experiment, or something more calculated?
