Tesla is preparing to release its Full Self-Driving Supervised (FSD) version 14 update, marking the first substantial upgrade to the advanced driver-assistance system in over a year. Elon Musk has described it as having a “sentient” quality.
That said, he made a similar claim about the prior version, so it’s wise to approach these statements with caution.
Following the rollout of FSD v13 for Hardware 4 (HW4) vehicles toward the end of last year, Tesla has not introduced any major FSD enhancements in 2025.
Owners of Hardware 3 (HW3) vehicles remain on v12, with little prospect of meaningful progress. Even HW4 users have only received minor tweaks, some of which have led to declines in performance metrics like miles driven between required interventions, according to the most reliable data available.
Tesla attributed the delay in FSD advancements to its intensive efforts on the Robotaxi initiative in Austin, Texas.
Elon Musk has been hinting at a significant leap forward with FSD v14, drawing from the software refinements tested in the Robotaxi fleet that Tesla planned to deploy for public use in September.
Musk recently announced that the v14 rollout to customers will begin next week:
Version 14.0 enters early wide release next week, followed by 14.1 roughly two weeks after, and then 14.2. By 14.2, the vehicle will feel nearly sentient.
Earlier, Musk had labeled FSD v14 outright as “sentient.” He now specifies that v14.2 will be the version delivering that near-sentient experience.
Musk often employs exaggerated language when discussing Tesla’s FSD progress. Once, “mind-blowing” was his favorite descriptor; lately, “sentient” has taken its place.
He previously described v13—which averages about 400 miles between critical interventions—as feeling “alive,” a concept akin to sentience.
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