Fake News
Contemporary news has greatly affected world communication in reputation and change of brands. A recent video and story posted on Twitter in January 2019 showed “Tesla self-driving vehicle” termed as the release of the vehicle built in a robot concept. The footage, which was initially posted on Twitter circulated online, showed the Tesla Model S vehicle burning into flames at the parking. It entailed a short video that went viral on websites as the running headline claimed, “Self-driving Tesla car kills robot.” According to the Americans opinion, most were frightened by the incidence of the self-driving vehicle. Afterward, Tesla Company reported enacting an investigation on the video. As the video was posted by an account that frequently posted electric vehicle films, it was identified as completely fake. The company does not currently own a self-driving vehicle as the “robot” killed was a form of publicity.
According to a Google search, “Self-driving Tesla car kills robot,” the self-driving vehicle had crashed in an incident that happened in Las Vegas and “killed” the robot. Many articles recorded that the Russian-built robot was filmed as it represented a Tesla S model car burning into flames. According to the independent news, the story has been circulating on social media since 2019, raising doubts about whether it entailed a publicity stunt. The video of the incident was later posted on the YouTube channel by Promobot Company, getting half a million viewers speculating whether it was a hoax. The company also shared the video on the Twitter account of the Tesla manager Elon Musk which hasn’t yet responded. The incident got some international attention as users on the Tesla Motors Club chat forum cross-examined whether the incident was planned. In their discussion, they described the fire as not having distinctive characteristics while burning the vehicle.
This story was further investigated by the robot company, and it was identified that the video posted was staged. It was identified that the bad press behind the Tesla burning incident would help the electric cars made in china be recognized in the world’s auto market. This was misleading information to the people about the system capabilities, which would change the company’s reputation. The claim can be easily refuted as the invention would make roads more dangerous since drivers still have to supervise vehicles. The vehicle may have very limited functionality, which makes it require constant supervision to explore its capabilities.
Social media offer an unavoidable and indispensable set of delivery means used to link people with each other and share of ideas. Nevertheless, it has turned out to be a platform for spreading fake news, particularly in technology development. Tesla Company manager called for a conference to address the issue and advised people to be cautious on information they get on social media. To quest the rumor mill and combat traumatization associated with social media, concerned parties like the media houses and the government need to put a measure that will help reduce the possibility of fake or somewhat false information.
Works Cited
Borenstein, Jason, Joseph Herkert, and Keith Miller. “Self-driving cars: Ethical responsibilities of design engineers.” IEEE Technology and Society Magazine 36.2 (2017): 67–75.
Cuthbert’s son, Anthony. “Self-Driving Tesla ‘Kills’ Robot in Las Vegas Crash.” The Independent, 2019, Accessed 9 Jan 2019.