Summary: A viral TikTok video shows a man jokingly using his Tesla’s cameras to “detect ghosts” on the car’s infotainment screen. While entertaining, it’s important to remember that Tesla’s object detection system can sometimes mistake inanimate objects like flowers or headstones for pedestrians, especially in low light. This phenomenon, known as “phantom braking,” has been a known issue in the past but Tesla has since updated its detection technology. So, while Teslas are great at spotting real obstacles, they definitely can’t see ghosts.
The Viral Tesla ‘Ghost’ Video
Last week, a TikTok video went viral featuring a man pretending that the cameras mounted on his Tesla allow him to see ghosts on the car’s infotainment screen. The video, posted by @evaneramagic, has been watched over 11 million times. With Halloween spirit in the air, it’s a fun and spooky idea, but it’s important to keep the facts straight.
Why Teslas Mistake Objects for People
If you’re thinking of scaring your younger sibling by driving around a cemetery in your parents’ Tesla and pointing out “ghosts” on the screen, be warned: it doesn’t quite add up, even by spooky story logic. Ghosts are typically thought to haunt places meaningful to their lives or deaths—like houses, hospitals, or accident sites—not cemeteries.
Back in 2021, a Tesla driver noticed that the car’s object detection system mistook a graveside vase full of flowers for a pedestrian. This user posted a spooky video on TikTok that racked up 23 million views. Since Tesla vehicles rely on cameras and radar rather than LIDAR (which uses lasers to create 3D images), it’s plausible for the system to confuse inanimate objects for people.
As the Tesla Model 3 owner’s manual states, “Collision Avoidance features cannot always detect all objects, vehicles, bikes, or pedestrians, and you may experience unnecessary, inaccurate, invalid, or missed warnings for many reasons.” So, the system was likely just being cautious with imperfect data.
The History of Tesla’s ‘Phantom Braking’ Issue
While false positives like mistaking flowers for pedestrians are better than missing real obstacles, they have caused issues. Around 2021, Tesla voluntarily recalled nearly 12,000 cars due to the risk of sudden braking triggered by false positives during assisted driving, then called “Full Self-Driving Beta.” This phenomenon, dubbed “phantom braking,” was investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Users on the Tesla Motors Club message board reported phantom braking incidents, including one who said, “The car is frequently fooled by illusions of a threat that a human would ignore.” For example, the shadow of a bird flying over the road sometimes triggered unnecessary braking.
How Tesla’s Object Detection Has Evolved
Since then, Tesla’s object detection system has undergone changes. It no longer uses ultrasonic sensors but now offers “high-definition spatial positioning, longer range visibility, and the ability to identify and differentiate between objects,” according to Tesla’s website updated last month.
The Latest Tesla ‘Ghost’ Videos
With these updates, new spooky Tesla videos have emerged. Instead of confusing flowers for pedestrians during the day, the latest videos show Teslas mistaking headstones for people at night. The influencer behind the recent viral TikTok had also created a sponsored video earlier this Halloween season where the Tesla allegedly mistook Halloween decorations for real people.
Final Thoughts and Tesla’s Response
Gizmodo reached out to Tesla for information about improvements to its object detection system and will update this article if we receive a response. Meanwhile, enjoy the Halloween fun, but remember: Teslas are impressive machines, but they can’t detect ghosts—only real-world objects and people.