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Intel CEO believes autonomous driving data is the new oil
The LA Auto Show may be remembered more for its technologies than the actual cars it showcased. That’s because automakers and technology companies are no longer isolated; instead, they’re part of a new and fascinating picture in which, when it comes to the future of automobiles, “data is the new oil.”
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, delivering a keynote address at the Automobility LA conference (as part of the LA Auto Show) on Nov. 15, described the confluence of automobiles, data dependence, and connectivity as being equally valuable as an integrated whole as automobiles currently are on oil. Krzanich stated,
“We are in a time when technology is valued not just for the devices it produces, but for the experiences it makes possible. Data has the potential to radically change the way we think about the driving experience: as consumers, as automakers, as technologists, and as citizens of our communities,”
Intel’s interest in self-driving vehicles has grown over the last year after acquiring machine vision company, Itseez, Inc. this past May. With Itseez in its portfolio, Intel is developing algorithms and implementations of computer vision around automobiles, among other applications. Additionally, a partnership with BMW and system-on-a-chip maker and ex-Tesla partner Mobileye may produce an open platform for designing autonomous vehicles.
“It’s not enough just to capture the data,” Krzanich argued. “We have to turn the data into an actionable set of insights to get the full value out of it. To do that requires an end-to-end computing solution from the car through the network and to the cloud — and strong connectivity.”
Krzanich’ keynote speech marks the first time that Intel, the semiconductor conglomerate, has ever had a prominent role at an automobile show. It follows an editorial that he wrote earlier in the year in which he outlined five key points to accelerate Intel’s transformation from a PC company to a company that powers the cloud and billions of smart, connected computing devices. According to Krzanich:
- The cloud is the most important trend shaping the future of the smart, connected world. Virtualization and software are increasingly defining infrastructure in the cloud and data center.
- The many “things” that make up the PC Client business and the Internet of Things are made much more valuable by their connection to the cloud. The Internet of Things encompasses all smart devices – every device, sensor, console and any other client device – that are connected to the cloud. Everything that a “thing” does can be captured as a piece of data, measured real-time, and is accessible from anywhere. The biggest opportunity in the Internet of Things is its ubiquity.
- Memory and programmable solutions such as FPGAs, which are integrated circuits that can be programmed in the field after manufacture, will deliver entirely new classes of products for the data center and the Internet of Things. Breakthrough innovations and products to the cloud and data center infrastructure are revolutionizing the performance and architecture of the data center, with growth for years to come.
- 5G will become the key technology for access to the cloud, providing computing power to a device and connecting it to the cloud makes it more valuable. The example of the autonomous vehicle, with its need for connectivity to the cloud alongside the cloud’s need for machine learning capabilities, requires the most up-to-date algorithms and data sets to allow the vehicle to operate safely. In this way, connectivity is fundamental to every one of the cloud-to-thing segments we will drive.
- Moore’s Law, in which Intel co-founder Gordon Moore in 1965 noticed that the number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits had doubled every year since their invention, will continue. This concept has fueled the recent technology revolution.
Krzanich elaborated at the Automobility LA conference that autonomous cars may soon utilize sensors from LIDAR, sonar, and radar, as well as GPS and cameras. A single autonomous vehicle could generate approximately 4 terabytes (4,000 GB) of data daily. “Every autonomous car will generate the data equivalent of almost 3,000 people. Extrapolate this further and think about how many cars are on the road. Let’s estimate just 1 million autonomous cars worldwide — that means automated driving will be representative of the data of 3 billion people,” Krzanich said.
The keynote speech augmented an Intel press statement that its Capital division will invest $250 million over the next two years into developing technologies around autonomous vehicles, which are “areas where technology can directly mitigate risks while improving safety, mobility, and efficiency at a reduced cost; and companies that harness the value of the data to improve reliability of automated driving systems.”
Source: Brian Krzanich Editorial
Tesla just teased something crazy with the next Full Self-Driving update, which will be released to Early Access Program (EAP) members today.
Tesla just recently released the v14 Full Self-Driving update, and it followed up just a few days later with v14.1.1.
The subsequent release helped refine a handful of things, especially an issue with stuttering at intersections and overall indecisiveness, but it was more of a smoothing over of the initial v14.1 Full Self-Driving release.
However, on Wednesday evening, Tesla’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, said that the company would be releasing v14.1.2 to EAP members today, and that it would “debut a much-awaited feature.”
He followed that up with a racecar emoji and a smoke emoji, potentially hinting toward something speed-related. However, it could mean something totally different.
FSD v14.1.2, going to early access today, will debut a much awaited feature 🏎️💨
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) October 15, 2025
Some suggested it was potentially a new Speed Profile that could rank above the “Hurry” option, but that seems unnecessary. As far as other features that have been teased, one that definitely comes to mind is the “Banish” feature that was recently teased by CEO Elon Musk.
Banish is essentially the finishing touch to Tesla’s Actually Smart Summon (ASS), which launched earlier this year.
While ASS will bring your car to your location using the Tesla app on your phone, Banish does just the opposite by dropping you off at the door of your destination and finding a parking spot on its own.
Elon Musk teases ‘Banish’ feature to pair perfectly with Summon
This was recently teased by Musk yet again, as he said earlier this month that Full Self-Driving would be capable of it very soon.
Based on what we’ve seen out of v14.1 and v14.1.1, there is some potential that Banish could be released and could be the feature that Elluswamy is hinting toward, although there is no direct evidence of that.
Luckily, I was able to get into the EAP, so as the feature is released and the Release Notes are available, we’ll be able to report on exactly what feature is on the way.
Tesla benefits from an incentive program in Texas that has become active following the loss of the $7,500 EV tax credit, which was a significant advantage for EV drivers.
In Texas, the State Commission on Environmental Quality has a grant program for light-duty motor vehicles that are either purchased or leased by consumers.
Referred to as the Light-Duty Motor Vehicle Purchase or Lease Incentive Program (LDPLIP), the program opened on October 13 and provides grants for consumers who want to buy new energy vehicles.
Will Tesla thrive without the EV tax credit? Five reasons why they might
The program allows for grants of up to $2,500 for electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
These are the eligibility criteria:
- Individuals or entities who purchase or lease an eligible vehicle on or after September 1, 2025, and who apply for or acquire title and registration of the vehicle in Texas
- Applicants must have taken possession of the vehicle before applying
- Applicants must commit to operating and registering the vehicle in Texas for at least one year
Additionally, the car must:
- Be included on the TCEQ Eligible Vehicle List
- Be new and must not have been the subject of any prior retail sale or lease
- Have a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less
They are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
The good news is that Tesla’s entire vehicle lineup, as of October 7, qualifies. Here is what the LDPLIP’s list of qualifying vehicles shows for Tesla:
- Tesla Cybertruck AWD
- Tesla Cybertruck Beast
- Tesla Model S AWD
- Tesla Model S Plaid
- Tesla Model X AWD
- Tesla Model X Plaid
- Tesla Model Y Long Range RWD
- Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD
- Tesla Model Y Performance
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD
- Tesla Model 3 Performance
This list was published during the day of October 7, which is coincidentally the same day Tesla launched its Tesla Model 3 ‘Standard’ and Tesla Model Y ‘Standard.’
We reached out to the program to confirm that these vehicles qualify for that grant, and we will update when we hear back.
With the loss of the Federal EV Tax Credit, local programs are still available to help with the cost of an EV. Although electric cars are affordable, there are benefits to choosing one, especially as these grant programs continue to become available.
The full list of vehicles that qualify for the grant is available here.
Tesla has made a last-ditch effort to secure the $56 billion pay package for CEO Elon Musk, which was approved twice by company shareholders, after a Delaware Chancery Court denied the frontman the payday.
Perhaps one of the biggest issues from a standpoint of being fluent in Tesla-related events has been Musk’s pay package.
It was approved by shareholders once in 2018, and required Musk to oversee various growth tranches that would bring investors value. He completed each of the tranches and was entitled to the pay package.
However, the Delaware Chancery Court decided in January 2024 to rescind the pay package, which Musk had earned, based on a suit filed by a shareholder.
Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick ruled that Tesla’s board lacked independence from Musk when the pay package was approved in 2018, and that it should not be granted.
She called it “an unfathomable sum.”
In response to the pay package’s rejection by Chancellor McCormick, Tesla held a second shareholder vote last year, which once again showed investors were willing to support Musk’s payday. It was approved by shareholders, but it was once again denied by the court.
Today, Tesla attorneys argued to the Delaware Supreme Court that the pay package should be restored because of last year’s vote by shareholders.
Jeffrey Wall, an attorney for Tesla, said (via Reuters):
“This was the most informed stockholder vote in Delaware history. Reaffirming that would resolve this case. Shareholders in 2024 knew exactly what they were voting.”
In a response to the decision by the Delaware courts last year, Tesla proposed a new pay package for Musk in September, which would give him a potentially $1 trillion compensation plan. It would require Musk to help Tesla reach several performance-based growth milestones, including achieving an $8.5 trillion market cap.
Elon Musk’s new pay plan ties trillionaire status to Tesla’s $8.5 trillion valuation
Musk is currently worth $483 billion, making him the richest person in the world. If he were to achieve his pay package tranches, granted the new pay package is passed at the Shareholder Meeting in November, he would easily be the first trillionaire.
Tesla just teased something crazy with the next Full Self-Driving update
Tesla benefits from new incentive program that’s active after tax credit loss
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