Pilot here. Airplanes have autopilot. While on autopilot you are still expected to be monitoring the flight and take control at a moments notice. Autopilot does not allow the pilot to take a nap or go in the back and party with the flight attendants.

Autopilot is the correct term. I'm tired of always having to cater to the lowest common denominator.

I see where you're coming from, but think that's a calculated risk. From a PR perspective it generates buzz, sounds ambitious, and reflects their ambition.

If you ask anybody today, "what company is interested in self-driving cars?" Their answer is going to be Tesla. They're not gonna say Apple, or Ford or Volvo or Mercedes or Mobileye or Intel. They're gonna point straight to Tesla.

A big part of that is their "inaccurate" word choice. From a PR perspective, the name was a solid gold decision.