Tesla: Wer nur mit Statistik und ohne Empathie argumentiert, wird in der Öffentlichkeit verlieren

Die Zahlen, der Kontext, rund um den Autopilot-Unfall von Tesla mit tödlichem Ausgang sind wichtig. Es ist wichtig, dass Medien, und unabhängige Analysten etwa, den notwendigen Kontext herstellen, damit jede/r Interessierte den Vorfall mit größtmöglichem Wissen einordnen kann.

Schwierig wird es allerdings, wenn das betroffene Unternehmen rein auf Statistiken und das eigene Image schauend argumentiert – und dabei kühl kalkulierend und gefühllos erscheint.

Selbst wenn man also in der Sache auf der Seite von Tesla ist, sollte das aktuelle Vorgehen von Tesla mehrfach zu denken geben: Auf menschlicher Ebene wie auch mit Blick auf die langfristigen Folgen für die Regulierung und damit die Branche.

Aus dem aktuellen Blogpost von Tesla:

Here’s what we did know at the time of the accident and subsequent filing:

1. That Tesla Autopilot had been safely used in over 100 million miles of driving by tens of thousands of customers worldwide, with zero confirmed fatalities and a wealth of internal data demonstrating safer, more predictable vehicle control performance when the system is properly used.
2. That contrasted against worldwide accident data, customers using Autopilot are statistically safer than those not using it at all.
3. That given its nature as a driver assistance system, a collision on Autopilot was a statistical inevitability, though by this point, not one that would alter the conclusion already borne out over millions of miles that the system provided a net safety benefit to society.

Given the fact that the „better-than-human“ threshold had been crossed and robustly validated internally, news of a statistical inevitability did not materially change any statements previously made about the Autopilot system, its capabilities, or net impact on roadway safety.

Industrieanalyst Ben Thompson (paywall) fasst den Kontext knackig zusammen:

I am, broadly speaking, on Tesla’s side, at least in regards to the potential of self-driving cars to save lives. The fact of the matter, though, is that we are not developing a transportation system from scratch, in which we choose from the best available option. Rather, there is a century-old status quo, and moving to something better will require not only that the alternative be superior, but massively so. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that the general population has accepted the status quo when it comes to transportation and all the deaths involved, just as they have accepted the status quo with a whole host of sub-optimal policies. It is on those of us who believe in a better future to change hearts and minds; Musk’s approach will accomplish the exact opposite.

Oder anders gesagt: Die PR-Arbeit von Tesla lässt sehr zu wünschen übrig.