<p><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5f5107d77ed0ee001e25d3ec-2400/GettyImages-1206290114.jpg" border="0" alt="Elon Musk" data-mce-source="BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images"></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company has been in early talks to share its self-driving software with other manufacturers during an earnings call Wednesday.</p><p>"We've had some preliminary discussions about licensing Autopilot to other OEMs," Musk said during the call.</p><p>Musk emphasized the company is not looking to keep the software to itself, but is waiting for the service to become more reliable before sharing it with outside companies.</p><p>"We need to probably do a little more work to prove that Autopilot is capable of full self driving," Musk said. "Then we're more than happy to license that to other car companies."</p><p>The CEO has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tesla-open-to-licensing-autopilot-software-to-competitors-2020-7">said in the past</a> that he is not looking to edge out other competitors, but rather simply advance the technology.</p><p>The software was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-full-self-driving-software-release-beta-questions-2020-10">released</a> as a public beta to a select group of consumersMusk said it was around 1,000in October. The software still requires a licensed human operator, though Musk said he's hopeful it could be capable of Level 5 autonomy within the year.</p><p>"The software is improving dramatically," Musk said.</p><p>When the feature entered public beta, users quickly reported multiple errors, with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-self-driving-beta-software-videos-not-fully-autonomous-autopilot-2020-10">YouTube videos</a> showing the software missing intersections and boulevards. </p><p>Musk says Tesla is focusing on improving Tesla's neural network through 3-D labeling, gathering videos, and labeling elements so that the program can learn.</p><p>"We believe we have the best neural-net-training software in the world by an order of magnitude," Musk said.</p><p>Tesla's plan is to create a car that will drive better and be more reliable than the average human.</p><p>Tesla is not the only company pursuing full automation. In October, Waymo, a Google subsidiary, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/waymo-is-going-fully-driverless-with-its-service-in-phoenix-2020-10">launched</a> an entirely driverless ride service in Phoenix. General Motors, Volkswagen, and Ford have also been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/self-driving-car-company-executives-who-is-running-them-2019-7#bryan-salesky-is-argo-ais-cofounder-and-ceo-his-view-is-that-in-order-to-succeed-a-self-driving-car-company-has-to-be-allied-with-a-major-automaker-8">pushing for autonomous vehicles</a>, with Volkswagen and Ford joining together to support Argo Ai, an autonomous driving technology company.</p><p>The company has gone head to head in the past with other automakers pursuing fully automated vehicles. Recently, Waymo CEO John Krafcik said Tesla was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-waymo-ceo-self-driving-autopilot-2021-1">"no competition at all"</a> when it came to making autonomous vehicles.</p><p>However, Musk said he believes the company could deliver on his promise of a fully-automated system sooner rather than later.</p><p>"From my standpoint, it looks like a very clear and obvious path towards a vehicle that will drive safer than a person," Musk said. "I don't really see any obstacles here."</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tesla-preliminary-talks-license-autopilot-self-driving-software-2021-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story »</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/warren-buffett-modest-home-bought-31500-looks-2017-6">Warren Buffett lives in a modest house that's worth .001% of his total wealth</a></p>
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