Tesla Bros Using AI to Dream Up Improbable Scenarios Where the Flying Tesla Roadster Would Be Helpful

Umesh Kumar Tesla’s newly unveiled Roadster can apparently fly and spin through the air for a few seconds, using thrusters that work like a giant jet-pack. It feels more like a car you’d buy in “GTA Online” than from an actual dealership, and there’s pretty much no conceivable way that this would ever be street legal, let alone practical. Nonetheless, that hasn’t stopped Elon Musk fanboys from dreaming up improbable scenarios where being able to go airborne in their Roadster — which they’ll definitely be able to afford — would actually be helpful. One even tried to prove his point using the tool of choice for all of those who possess a boundless imagination: AI. In a clearly AI-generated video, a Roadster is shown cruising down a bridge that spans a beautiful river valley. Using your car for a scenic roadtrip? That does sound useful. But no, that’s not what they’re getting at here. A part of the bridge instantly collapses ahead, so our quick-witted Roadster driver presses a big red button to activate its cold-gas thrusters and leap over to the other side in an epic slow-mo sequence. “The Roadster could genuinely be a lifesaver in situations like these,” the Tesla fan wrote. Let’s cut to the chase: there’s zero chance that something like this would happen, so using it to justify the Roadster’s existence is as feeble an exercise as thinking of comebacks you should’ve said after you lost an argument. Then again, as absurd as it is, we’re struggling of a better reason to have a briefly flying car. If it’s not to save your life, what’s it for? There were other AI depictions of the Roadster’s aerial capabilities being put to good use. Some show it jumping over toll booths or flying over standstill traffic. We hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but the Roadster is not going to be able to do any of this. The point is that these capabilities are a marketing stunt — an impressive tech demo, but nothing more. It’s not unlike how Musk heavily marketed the Cybertruck as “apocalypse-proof,” building it with (somewhat) bulletproof doors and windows and off-road capabilities. The reality, of course, is that it was hard to imagine an apocalypse where a car better known for easily breaking down and being held together with glue would be useful. Consumers agreed, and the expensive truck turned into an all-time flop. The Roadster will almost certainly face similar struggles at finding a demographic who will want to buy it. But hey, you can always use AI to imagine an alternate reality where it turns out to be a best-seller, too. More on Tesla: Tesla Bros Posting Videos Showing Them Hog Out on Decadent Meals While Careening Down the Road in Self-Driving Mode