Tesla may advertise its impending Cybercab robotaxi fleet as a self-driving service, but new job listings indicate human workers may still be required to remotely drive the cars. As spotted on Wednesday by Gizmodo, Tesla is currently accepting applications for C++ software engineers to join the Teleoperation wing of its “Tesla Bot and Robotaxi” division. Employees will focus on designing a system to provide “remote access to our robotaxis and humanoid robots” as they “operate autonomously in challenging environments.”
“As we iterate on the AI that powers them, we need the ability to access and control them remotely,” the company stipulates.
To do this, software engineers will reportedly first help build a program using Unreal services that will allow Remote Operators to take over robotaxis and Optimus bots during particularly difficult and complex tasks. This will involve being “transported into the device’s world” through a “state-of-the-art VR rig,” that is still in development.
“Our goal is to integrate our hardware, firmware and backend expertise to achieve a cutting-edge system… Working with hardware teams, you will drive requirements, make design decisions and implement software integration for this custom teleoperation system,” Tesla says on its application page.
The potential future of Tesla’s Cybercab and robotaxi services align an ongoing industry trend of advertising “autonomous,” AI-powered products that are often overseen by human gig workers. General Motors’ Cruise robotaxi company, for example, currently subs in remote employees to help steer vehicles out of difficult-to-compute situations. Similar approaches are also rumored to be in place for competitors like Zoox and Waymo. Meanwhile, autonomous vehicle programs, particularly Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” Mode, have faced increasing industry criticism and regulatory investigations over their potential hazards posed to both passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians.
News that human workers will frequently handle robotaxi and Optimus operations follows a similar pattern for the company. Tesla’s first “reveal” of its humanoid robot in 2021 involved a person wearing an Optimus costume. Last month, the company’s “We, Robot” event on the Warner Bros. Discovery studio included actual robots crafting cocktails for guests—but it didn’t take long before it was revealed the supposedly autonomous machines were actually remotely piloted by humans.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly promised the impending debut of his company’s robotaxi fleet on public roads, and currently estimates Cybercab services to arrive by the end of 2026. Any interested applicants will work out of Tesla’s Palo Alto offices, and can expect a salary somewhere between $120,000 and $318,000, “cash and stock awards,” as well as benefits.
