Tesla is ready to pay for you to be driven in a car with a mind of its own

Tesla is inviting applications from drivers who may be suited to test its Autopilot cars in Texas' Austin. The company has been ramping up efforts to further improve the autonomous capabilities of its vehicles and has time and again highlighted how this technology is the future of automobiles and can ensure far superior safety standards than non-autonomous vehicles.

Electrek recently reported that Tesla is looking at hiring 'Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Test Operators' in Austin which is also where the company will now establish its second plant in the United States. Referring to publicly filed documents, it has filed an application with an Austin-area school district in Travis County seeking a tax abatement.

The focus on Austin now also includes ADAS personnel who are responsible for testing various aspects of an autonomous vehicle. While ADAS pertains to Level 2 driver-assist features which include autosteer and traffic-aware cruise control, Tesla has also added the tests will include autonomous vehicles.

Recent times have seen Tesla hastening the process of testing autonomous vehicles with CEO Elon Musk even claiming that such a car can be crucial in bringing down not only incidents of road accidents in the US but also the intensity of such accidents. (Full report here)

While there are many who question if the technology can indeed guarantee safety and if it points to the larger aspect of machines replacing men, Musk has even hinted that Tesla cars in times to come will feature games. The company, for now, maintains that drivers need to be alert at all times and keep hands on the steering even if the car itself is in Autopilot mode.