Tesla Reportedly Testing AI-Powered Driver Age Verification Using In-Cabin Cameras

Tesla’s latest car software update contains new code indicating that the company is working on a new driver monitoring feature that will use AI to estimate a driver’s age. The potential feature could have many applications, but also raises privacy concerns. A popular Tesla enthusiast called Greentheonly on social media has posted information about the existence of this feature by examining the code of Tesla’s latest update, version 2026.8.6.

No official announcement has yet been made about such capability, or what features it will enable. The most obvious use case is driver age verification, although face recognition alone cannot determine a person’s exact legal age down to the day. However, it is possible that facial recognition could be used for an extra layer of biometric security, or to automatically switch between drivers’ profiles. Such a capability could also be used to improve Tesla’s Parental Controls features, giving car owners more control over how and where their children use the car and its various features when allowed to drive it. 

Not A Tesla App, which first reported the news, points out that the feature could be used in Tesla’s fully autonomous Robotaxi vehicles including the driverless Cybercab. As per Tesla policy, unaccompanied minors are not allowed to use the service.

Driver attention monitoring is already a common feature in vehicles, especially commercial ones. In-cabin cameras are used along with AI models to determine whether a driver is paying attention to the road, is distracted by a smartphone or other device, or is in danger of falling asleep, among other things. 

Adding age recognition parameters could allow for more detailed monitoring, including the ability to detect health issues or other forms of driver impairment. In case a driver suffers a stroke, for example, a car could automatically bring itself to a safe stop and alert emergency services. 

Such a feature could also be used to change a vehicle’s parameters, such as Full Self Driving style, when an elderly driver is detected. If extended to all car occupants, it could help ensure that people are in the safest possible seating position based on age and other parameters, and could help improve alerts about children or babies left behind in cars.

The latest Tesla software update also replaces the word Autopilot with Autosteer throughout the UI, after it dropped the former name of its driver assistance feature due to legal challenges about it potentially misleading people about its capabilities. References to Tesla’s “FSD Computer” hardware also now say “AI Computer”. The Cybertruck will get a new, previously leaked feature, which alerts occupants to oncoming objects in their blind zones to avoid situations such as hitting a bicyclist when opening a door. Other tweaks include Slovak language support, a British voice for the Grok assistant, and easier access to recorded dashcam video.