What Tesla Autopilot does, why it's being recalled and how the company plans to fix it

abcnews.go.com:

Tesla introduced Autopilot software in October of 2015 with CEO Elon Musk heralding it as a profound experience for people

Tesla introduced Autopilot software in October of 2015 with CEO Elon Musk heralding it as a profound experience for people.

Other automakers such as Mercedes, Audi and Volvo already were offering what amounted to fancy cruise control — keeping cars in their lanes and a distance from traffic in front of it.

But Musk had an innovation: Autopilot, he said, could change lanes on its own. “It will change people's perception of the future quite drastically,” Musk said while cautioning that drivers still have to pay attention.

Eight years later, U.S. auto safety regulators pressured Tesla into recalling nearly all the vehicles it has sold in the country because its driver monitoring system is too lax. The fix, with more alerts and limits on where the system can operate, will be done with a software update.

Here's how Autopilot has evolved over the past eight years and why it's being recalled:

WHAT IT DOES NOW

Basic Autopilot can steer, accelerate and brake automatically in its lane by using two features called Autosteer and Traffic Aware Cruise Control. Another level called Navigate on Autopilot suggests lane changes and makes adjustments to stop drivers from getting stuck behind slow traffic. Autosteer is intended to be used on limited-access highways. But there's another feature called Autosteer on City Streets. Tesla owners also are testing what the company calls “Full Self-Driving” software. Despite their names, the company says the systems are there to assist drivers, none can drive themselves, and human drivers must be ready to intervene at all times.

THE PROBLEM

Studies show that once humans start