>

How these things don't use basic seat sensors if no driver is present, it pulls that shit over or stops.
The redundancy needed has to assume the driver is an idiot. And yet people keep finding new ways to be stupid...
The people on my way to work save a ton of money by doing stupid shit like this themselves rather than buying an expensive AI that does it for them >

This is a quote from the article
Drivers are warned by Tesla when they install “full self-driving” that it “may do the wrong thing at the worst time.”
How crazy that this is allowed to still operate as it does. >

Tesla auto pilot is still level 2, not level 4/5 as people assumed. >

This is correct. They want to imply and intimate other things…
I had a 2019 bmw 330. There was no button to engage this function, but when you met the criteria (mostly straight freeway and under 40 mph) a note came up on the screen asking you if you wanted to engage a certain mode. 
In that mode the car assumed all accelerating, steering and braking functions and warned yiu before it was about to shut off when criteria no longer met (like speeds above 40). 
Why is this not level 3. Is it because the driver must pay attention and be ready to take over. 
I see that Mercedes’ has what is supposed to be the first level 3 assisted driving where they will assume full legal responsibility when the system is engaged. That’s confidence if true. >

This one is more sophisticated that what I had but with mine yiu are supposed to pay attention. With level 3 I don’t think you have to even watch the road. The Mercedes’ one is already out but not in USA. >

IIRC Level 3 is "100% autonomous and doesn't need a human's help... until it suddenly isn't and does".
You don't have to watch the road most of the time.  But in reality you do, because you need to be there to take over when it finally fails.
Which is why it's a terrible idea, and all the major players want to jump straight from 2 to 4.
Honestly from having used it, I'm pretty sure Toyota's software is capable of level 3 -- they just put a hard nerf on it back into level 2 status, because they want absolutely no part of this mess. >

My 2023 toyota has had a serious adaptive cruise control fuckup or two already (when someone was slowing in a left turn lane, and no cars in front of me it slammed on the brakes on the highway) 
To the point where I don’t trust it very much. >

Well, that’s the reason you have to pay attention and the reason why Tesla drivers must be missing a brain. >

Just saying that my vote is that Toyotas software isn’t that good. Tesla’s is probably worse. 
Just this past weekend I rode in a cruise autonomous vehicle with no one behind the steering wheel for the first time. 
It was a bizarre experience. Clearly had room for improvement but also wasn’t totally terrifying. >

Being constantly ready to correct a fuckup seems like a bigger headache than just driving tbh >

Is my understanding wrong that Tesla self-driving is basically just adaptive cruise control + lane assist? >

No, that's "autopilot".  FSD will legitimately get you from point-to-point, but you still need to be ready to take control, and it fucks up a lot. >

That's the problem, they've managed to market it as though it's a finished product