News
Tesla is removing Autopilot’s green light confirmation in step towards inner-city Full Self-Driving
Tesla is planning to improve the recently released Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control feature by removing the function’s existing green light confirmation. This bodes well for the company’s pursuit of its Full Self-Driving suite, particularly in terms of inner-city driving.
A rumor from Twitter account @GasOff2 indicated that Tesla was looking to roll out a new and improved version of the Full Self-Driving feature to members of the Early Access program. Under the upcoming update, Teslas will no longer require drivers to press down on the stalk or the accelerator pedal to confirm that it was safe to navigate through a green light when there is a lead vehicle.
BREAKING! Got it from a very reliable source very very close to ME, next update coming in for EA is no more Green light traffic confirmation with a lead vehicle infront. All I can say now.
— GAS🖕OFF (@GasOff2) June 18, 2020
The feature is a part of the 2020.24.5.1 Software Update. The update to the function was confirmed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who responded to CleanTechnica‘s coverage of the feature’s possible rollout by stating, “Confirmed.”
Confirmed
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 19, 2020
Tesla initially rolled out the feature to Early Access users with Software Update 2020.12.6 in mid-April 2020. The feature enabled vehicles operating with Hardware 3 and the Full Self-Driving suite to react to traffic lights and stop signs when using Traffic-Aware Cruise Control or Autosteer as a part of Autopilot.
As a part of the initial Beta rollout, drivers were required to confirm that it was safe to navigate through green-lighted intersections by pressing on the stalk or briefly touching the accelerator. It was eventually rolled out to all FSD users with Hardware 3 on April 24.
First Look at Tesla Autopilot Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control in action
During the first few days of Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control’s release, drivers successfully were able to navigate through city streets while utilizing the feature with minimal interventions. Granted, pressing on the accelerator pedal or confirming a green light maneuver using the stalk is an extra input from the driver. But Tesla was clear from the get-go that the feature will be fully capable of maneuvering through green lights on its own as soon as it is ready.
Currently, the feature is only available in the United States. Tesla is planning to rollout the Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control capability in international markets in Q3 2020 after the company refines the software for each country’s specific traffic laws. “Very important to make sure this is done right,” CEO Elon Musk said about the function’s rollout in other countries.
An email shared to Early Access members about the updates to Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control states the following:
“Hello,
We will be pushing software version (2020.24.5.1) to your vehicle shortly. This software update contains an improvement to our new Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control feature. Your vehicle will no longer require driver confirmation to continue through green lights while there is a lead vehicle ahead of you and not in a turn lane. Every driver is responsible for remaining alert and active when using Autopilot and must be prepared to take action at any time.”
— GAS🖕OFF (@GasOff2) June 19, 2020
A video of the Traffic Light and Stop Sign Recognition feature is available below.
News
Tesla looks to upgrade Matrix Headlights with new features
According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.
Tesla is looking to upgrade its Matrix Headlights, a unique and high-tech feature that is available on several of its vehicles. The headlights aim to maximize visibility for Tesla drivers while being considerate of oncoming traffic.
The Matrix Headlights Tesla offers utilize dimming of individual light pixels to ensure that visibility stays high for those behind the wheel, while also being considerate of other cars by decreasing the brightness in areas where other cars are traveling.
Here’s what they look like in action:
- Credit: u/ObjectiveScratch | Reddit
- Credit: u/ObjectiveScratch | Reddit
As you can see, the Matrix headlight system intentionally dims the area where oncoming cars would be impacted by high beams. This keeps visibility at a maximum for everyone on the road, including those who could be hit with bright lights in their eyes.
There are still a handful of complaints from owners, however, but Tesla appears to be looking to resolve these with the coming updates in a Software Version that is currently labeled 2026.2.xxx. The coding was spotted by X user BERKANT:
🚨 Tesla is quietly upgrading Matrix headlights.
Software https://t.co/pXEklQiXSq reveals a hidden feature:
matrix_two_stage_reflection_dip
This is a major step beyond current adaptive high beams.
What it means:
• The car detects highly reflective objects
Road signs,… pic.twitter.com/m5UpQJFA2n— BERKANT (@Tesla_NL_TR) February 24, 2026
According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.
Finally, the new system will prevent the high beams from glaring back at the driver. The system is made to dim when it recognizes oncoming cars, but not necessarily objects that could produce glaring issues back at the driver.
Tesla’s revolutionary Matrix headlights are coming to the U.S.
This upgrade is software-focused, so there will not need to be any physical changes or upgrades made to Tesla vehicles that utilize the Matrix headlights currently.
Elon Musk
xAI’s Grok approved for Pentagon classified systems: report
Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations.
Elon Musk’s xAI has signed an agreement with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to allow Grok to be used in classified military systems.
Previously, Anthropic’s Claude had been the only AI system approved for the most sensitive military work, but a dispute over usage safeguards has reportedly prompted the Pentagon to broaden its options, as noted in a report from Axios.
Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations.
The publication reported that xAI agreed to the Pentagon’s requirement that its technology be usable for “all lawful purposes,” a standard Anthropic has reportedly resisted due to alleged ethical restrictions tied to mass surveillance and autonomous weapons use.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to meet with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in what sources expect to be a tense meeting, with the publication hinting that the Pentagon could designate Anthropic a “supply chain risk” if the company does not lift its safeguards.
Axios stated that replacing Claude fully might be technically challenging even if xAI or other alternative AI systems take its place. That being said, other AI systems are already in use by the DoD.
Grok already operates in the Pentagon’s unclassified systems alongside Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Google is reportedly close to an agreement that will result in Gemini being used for classified use, while OpenAI’s progress toward classified deployment is described as slower but still feasible.
The publication noted that the Pentagon continues talks with several AI companies as it prepares for potential changes in classified AI sourcing.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk denies Starlink’s price cuts are due to Amazon Kuiper
“This has nothing to do with Kuiper, we’re just trying to make Starlink more affordable to a broader audience,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
Elon Musk has pushed back on claims that Starlink’s recent price reductions are tied to Amazon’s Kuiper project.
In a post on X, Musk responded directly to a report suggesting that Starlink was cutting prices and offering free hardware to partners ahead of a planned IPO and increased competition from Kuiper.
“This has nothing to do with Kuiper, we’re just trying to make Starlink more affordable to a broader audience,” Musk wrote in a post on X. “The lower the cost, the more Starlink can be used by people who don’t have much money, especially in the developing world.”
The speculation originated from a post summarizing a report from The Information, which ran with the headline “SpaceX’s Starlink Makes Land Grab as Amazon Threat Looms.” The report stated that SpaceX is aggressively cutting prices and giving free hardware to distribution partners, which was interpreted as a reaction to Amazon’s Kuiper’s upcoming rollout and possible IPO.
In a way, Musk’s comments could be quite accurate considering Starlink’s current scale. The constellation currently has more than 9,700 satellites in operation today, making it by far the largest satellite broadband network in operation. It has also managed to grow its user base to 10 million active customers across more than 150 countries worldwide.
Amazon’s Kuiper, by comparison, has launched approximately 211 satellites to date, as per data from SatelliteMap.Space, some of which were launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Starlink surpassed that number in early January 2020, during the early buildout of its first-generation network.
Lower pricing also aligns with Starlink’s broader expansion strategy. SpaceX continues to deploy satellites at a rapid pace using Falcon 9, and future launches aboard Starship are expected to significantly accelerate the constellation’s growth. A larger network improves capacity and global coverage, which can support a broader customer base.
In that context, price reductions can be viewed as a way to match expanding supply with growing demand. Musk’s companies have historically used aggressive pricing strategies to drive adoption at scale, particularly when vertical integration allows costs to decline over time.

