Scientists Download Frontier AI Model Into Self-Driving Car Let It Loose
They didn't do great on a test course. The post Scientists Download Frontier AI Model Into Self-Driving Car Let It Loose appeared first on Futurism .
Scientists loaded frontier AI models into the brains of a Toyota Corolla to test their ability to drive a lap in a parking lot. The models used included OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra, xAI’s Grok 4.6, and Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5.1. The project, called DrivingBench, connected an internet-connected laptop to the car's control systems via a "comma four" device.
The LLMs sent commands based on GPS telemetry and car status indicators. Only GPT-6 Astra successfully completed the course after its second attempt, covering less than 500 feet in five minutes. Other models struggled, with most failing to navigate past the first corner. The researchers concluded that frontier models can drive real vehicles at low speeds, but safety and alignment concerns still need significant attention.
The token cost for the test was $7.74, equivalent to about 500 times the cost of fuel for a car with 25 miles per gallon fuel efficiency at $4.60 per gallon. Some LLMs warned the researchers about driving the car safely, even in an empty lot. The experiment showed that off-the-shelf frontier AI models are not yet ready for real-world driving.
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