Full Self-Driving as a team event: What Tesla’s AI teaches us about trust and innovation

Full Self-Driving as a team event: What Tesla's AI taught us about trust, technology, and innovation

There are moments when you realize just how much of a control freak you really are. For us, that was the moment the steering wheel turned all by itself for the first time, while a Tesla employee sat in the driver's seat and we, as a team, watched intently from the passenger and back seats. Tesla Full Self-Driving as a team event: honestly, we were a bit skeptical about what to expect.

Spoiler alert: The skepticism quickly turned into fascination . But let's take it from the top.

Eat first, hand over the wheel later

Before we even got down to business, we followed team rule number one: good food. You need a solid foundation before you hand the wheel over to an AI. After all, we wanted to start this experiment with a clear head (and a full stomach). It was a bit like a pre-flight check, just with cutlery instead of a checklist.

In hindsight, that was exactly the right order. If you get nervous just looking at a self-driving car, you definitely shouldn't be hungry, too.

The first few seconds: surreal, then surprisingly normal

And then it was time. The Tesla employee was in the driver's seat, hands ready for any emergency, but the car was doing the actual driving. The first few seconds were truly surreal—watching the steering wheel turn on its own with no one actively steering. We sat there, watching intently, and honestly? Nothing exciting happened. The car just did its thing, perfectly calm.

What surprised us was how quickly our mindset shifted. The team's expectations were fairly low; we imagined the system would be cautious, hesitant, almost timid around obstacles. The reality was quite different:

• It drives incredibly smoothly, without the nervous tapping we had expected.
• It navigates corners cleanly, almost confidently.
• It seemed to spot cyclists earlier than we would have from the back seat.

That last point, in particular, provided the most "aha" moments. It’s one thing to know a car is packed with sensors and cameras. It’s another thing entirely to witness the system process a situation before you’ve even looked at it yourself, all while the Tesla employee calmly explained what was happening in the background.

Skepticism, laughter, fascination: the team's reactions

Unsurprisingly, not everyone in the team was equally relaxed in the car. We had the classic mix you’d expect from an experiment like this. Some were tense at first, watching every movement of the steering wheel closely, while others didn't want to get out after the first few laps.

But one thing was consistent across all reactions: it felt safe the entire time. No frantic braking, no jerky movements, no heart-stopping moments. Instead, we experienced calm, logical decisions, and a team that gradually shifted from nervous observation to relaxed conversation. In the end, everyone agreed: it was definitely a highlight of our team event calendar.

What this has to do with our work

Sure, an afternoon in a Tesla is just a cool experience. But we couldn't help but look for the analogy to our own jobs. And it’s not a stretch, because at marketer UX, our work now revolves heavily around this very topic: innovation and AI.

We are now using artificial intelligence a lot ourselves, whether for analyzing large datasets, drafting content and design, or handling repetitive tasks that free up our minds for the essentials. Just like with the FSD system, the technology reliably takes on a lot of the work, but it doesn't replace the strategic intuition that makes the difference in the end. Knowing which word in a headline really resonates, how a target audience actually behaves, when an automated recommendation makes sense, and when a human needs to step in—that remains a matter of experience.

Spotting cyclists faster than a human is impressive. We find it just as impressive when a team understands how to use new technologies meaningfully instead of relying on them blindly. That same curiosity about what is possible is what drives us in our own work with AI.

Our conclusion, and a question for you

An afternoon full of skepticism turned into a team that was in agreement: This was one of the most exciting team events we’ve had in a long time. Not just because the technology was impressive, but because it reminded us once again what innovation is really about. It’s not about handing over control completely, but about understanding where it is best placed.

Now it’s your turn: Would you sit back and relax and leave the steering wheel to AI? Or would your hands be on high alert the whole time? Let us know—we’re looking forward to your honest opinion.