While no one was in the driver's seat of the Tesla robotaxis, a front-seat rider acted as a "safety monitor" during the trial.

The June 22 launch of Tesla's robotaxis in Austin, Texas, actually occurred. It's a tentative first step for the company, however: a human "Tesla Safety Monitor" is accompanying the first riders. There are also only ten cars and rides are limited to certain Tesla users.

Tesla's long-awaited robotaxis rolled out for the first time on roads in Austin, Texas on Sunday. In videos shared by Tesla on X, a small group of invited analysts, influencers and shareholders were shown participating in paid rides.