{
  "id": 16152827,
  "title": "Elon Musk’s flying Tesla Roadster sparks social media uproar - If AI doesn’t kill us, the flying cars will!",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/elon-musks-flying-tesla-roadster-sparks-social-media-uproar-if-ai",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-23T04:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/technology/big-tech/2026-10-23-elon-musks-flying-tesla-roadster-sparks-social-media-uproar-if-ai-doesnt-kill-us-the-flying-cars-will/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster, marketed as the company's inaugural \"flying car,\" made an impressive entrance into the public eye on October 16. The demonstration showcased the vehicle executing a vertical ascent, stabilizing on a specialized \"sucker system,\" and executing a flawless flip and landing, all powered by high-powered thrusters. The Roadster's striking, angular design evoked a blend of 1980s and 1990s sci-fi aesthetics, reminiscent of the DeLorean from Back to the Future and the retro-futuristic cars from Total Recall.\n\nThe unconventional appearance of the Roadster elicited a mixed response from tech experts. YouTube content creator Marques Brownlee, with a following of over 21 million subscribers, commented on the vehicle's innovative demonstration, expressing that while the display was \"insane,\" the design left him unimpressed. Tech parody creator SAMTIME, boasting 657,000 subscribers, took a comical approach to the unveiling, joking that the \"all-new Tesla flying car\" was \"totally safe\" and dismissing the possibility of software bugs, even referencing a previous Windows software failure. The announcement of the Roadster arrives amid a period of reduced third-quarter profits for Tesla, as CEO Musk appears to be directing more resources towards artificial intelligence, robotics, and autonomous transportation. Reports indicate that spending on research and development more than doubled, reflecting the company's strategic shift towards cutting-edge technology.",
  "summary": "Tech reviewers and social media creators were not convinced after Elon Musk showcased a thruster-powered, hovering Tesla Roadster in a dramatic live demonstration.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "TechRadar",
        "title": "Elon Musk's stock grants and Anthropic's public fund are band-aids on an open sore and do not address AI's most fundamental and pressing problems",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/elon-musks-stock-grants-and-anthropics-public-fund-are-band-aids-on",
        "published": "2026-10-20T15:13:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Fortune",
        "title": "‘Tap dancing through a minefield’: Elon Musk’s $3.5 trillion Tesla-SpaceX merger talks expose his power—and scant accountability",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/tap-dancing-through-a-minefield-elon-musks-3-5-trillion-tesla-spacex",
        "published": "2026-10-21T07:01:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Business Insider",
        "title": "AI rivals are thirsty for SpaceX's compute, Elon Musk says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/ai-rivals-are-thirsty-for-spacexs-compute-elon-musk-says",
        "published": "2026-10-21T17:06:39.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}