Tesla Rolls Out Advanced Self-Driving Functions in China 

Tesla cars are seen at a showroom for the US electric vehicle maker at a mall in the Changning district of Shanghai on February 25, 2025. (AFP)
Tesla cars are seen at a showroom for the US electric vehicle maker at a mall in the Changning district of Shanghai on February 25, 2025. (AFP)
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Tesla Rolls Out Advanced Self-Driving Functions in China 

Tesla cars are seen at a showroom for the US electric vehicle maker at a mall in the Changning district of Shanghai on February 25, 2025. (AFP)
Tesla cars are seen at a showroom for the US electric vehicle maker at a mall in the Changning district of Shanghai on February 25, 2025. (AFP)

US electric vehicle giant Tesla has started offering advanced self-driving functions for its cars in China, including autopilot on city streets, the company announced on Tuesday.

The announcement comes after years of attempts to overcome regulatory hurdles blocking the update of such features in the world's largest automobile market.

Tesla said in a statement on its WeChat page on Tuesday that it would gradually roll out a software update that includes "automatic Autopilot-assisted driving on city streets", as well as a rearview mirror function that detects whether drivers are paying attention.

The functions described are similar to the "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) capability it offers in the United States.

Cars with that capability are not fully autonomous and are meant to be used under driver supervision.

The update "has already been released for some car models, and will be gradually rolled out to other suitable car models", Tesla said.

China is a major market for Tesla, where the company has two factories and is trying to compete with fast-growing domestic manufacturers.

Tuesday's statement follows an announcement by Chinese automaker BYD, Tesla's biggest rival in the country, that it would introduce advanced self-driving technology for nearly all its cars.

Tesla has been working to gain approval in China for FSD, which needs to be compliant with strict data and privacy laws.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made several trips to China in recent years in an effort to win crucial data security clearance for the company's locally produced models.

- Tesla hype -

Musk is a key figure in the administration of US President Donald Trump, who has imposed additional tariffs on products from China and has vowed to curb Chinese investments in technology and critical infrastructure.

But the Tesla CEO remains a popular figure in China, where he is seen as a successful and influential entrepreneur.

Musk has nearly 2.3 million followers on the Chinese social media site Weibo and his mother, Maye Musk, has appeared in advertisements for multiple Chinese consumer brands.

On Tuesday, Tesla's Chinese website was updated to allow customers to select "FSD smart assisted driving function" as a product on available cars.

Tesla drivers quickly took to social media to show off the new functions, including posting videos that showed people driving their cars without their hands on the steering wheel.

China's tech companies and automakers have poured billions of dollars into self-driving technology in an effort to catch industry leaders in the United States.

While consumers are still unable to purchase fully autonomous vehicles, China has already approved multiple self-driving taxi services in major cities.

In the city of Wuhan, more than 500 driverless taxis ferry passengers across large swaths of the city as part of Chinese tech giant Baidu's Apollo Go project.

BYD's "God's Eye" autonomous driving system features remote parking and autonomous highway navigation previously found only on more expensive vehicles.

The Chinese automaker said this month it would now make the system available even in budget models priced below $10,000.



Impostor Uses AI to Impersonate Rubio and Contact Foreign and US Officials

Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a signing ceremony for a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the State Department, June 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a signing ceremony for a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the State Department, June 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
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Impostor Uses AI to Impersonate Rubio and Contact Foreign and US Officials

Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a signing ceremony for a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the State Department, June 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a signing ceremony for a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the State Department, June 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

The State Department is warning US diplomats of attempts to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio and possibly other officials using technology driven by artificial intelligence, according to two senior officials and a cable sent last week to all embassies and consulates.

The warning came after the department discovered that an impostor posing as Rubio had attempted to reach out to at least three foreign ministers, a US senator and a governor, according to the July 3 cable, which was first reported by The Washington Post.

The recipients of the scam messages, which were sent by text, Signal and voice mail, were not identified in the cable, a copy of which was shared with The Associated Press.

“The State Department is aware of this incident and is currently investigating the matter,” it said. “The department takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard its information and continuously takes steps to improve the department’s cybersecurity posture to prevent future incidents.”

It declined to comment further due to “security reasons” and the ongoing investigation.

One of the officials said the hoaxes had been unsuccessful and “not very sophisticated.” Nonetheless, the second official said the department deemed it “prudent” to advise all employees and foreign governments, particularly as efforts by foreign actors to compromise information security increase.

The officials were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“There is no direct cyber threat to the department from this campaign, but information shared with a third party could be exposed if targeted individuals are compromised,” the cable said.

The FBI warned in a public service announcement this past spring of a “malicious text and voice messaging campaign” in which unidentified “malicious actors” have been impersonating senior US government officials.

The scheme, according to the FBI, has relied on text messages and AI-generated voice messages that purport to come from a senior US official and that aim to dupe other government officials as well as the victim’s associates and contacts.

It is the second high-level Trump administration official to face such AI-driven impersonation.

The government was investigating after elected officials, business executives and other prominent figures received messages from someone impersonating President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles. Text messages and phone calls went out from someone who seemed to have gained access to the contacts in Wiles’ personal cellphone, The Wall Street Journal reported in May.

Some of those who received calls heard a voice that sounded like Wiles, which may have been generated by artificial intelligence, according to the newspaper. The messages and calls were not coming from Wiles’ number, the report said.