Tesla Inc. (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk is dropping more hints about the future of Full Self-Driving technology, and this time it involves something most safety experts would normally cringe at: texting while driving.

The Text and Drive Question

The latest buzz started when influencer Teslaconomics posted on X, questioning whether the FSD v14.2.1 update actually allows people to use their phones while the car handles driving duties. The influencer claimed they were on their phone "an extended period of time" while FSD was engaged.

Musk's response was characteristically brief but revealing: "Depending on context of surrounding traffic, yes." That's a pretty significant statement from someone who's been promising fully autonomous vehicles for years.

The Bigger Picture on Autonomy

This isn't just casual social media banter. Musk's comment appears to be another breadcrumb on the trail toward Unsupervised FSD, which has been a holy grail for Tesla. Earlier, the CEO teased that version 14.3 represents "where the last big piece of the puzzle finally lands." He's also promised driverless robotaxis operating in Austin by the end of 2025, a claim made during Tesla's third-quarter earnings call.

But not everyone is ready to pop champagne just yet. Gary Black of Future Fund LLC praised the system's improvements over earlier versions but pointed out that driverless operations remain the real catalyst investors are waiting for. Translation: incremental updates are nice, but the market wants to see cars driving themselves without any human supervision whatsoever.

Ross Gerber, co-founder of investment firm Gerber Kawasaki, raised an even more fundamental point. Real progress, he argued, means Tesla taking liability away from drivers and assuming it themselves. He also flagged ongoing mapping issues with the technology. That liability question is huge because it's the difference between an advanced driver-assistance system and a truly autonomous vehicle.

Market Reaction

As for the stock, TSLA climbed 1.74% to close at $454.53 on Thursday, though it dipped slightly to $453.85 in after-hours trading, down 0.15%.

The question now is whether Musk's hints translate into actual unsupervised driving capabilities, or if we're still a few software versions away from that reality. Either way, the conversation around texting while your Tesla drives is certainly getting more interesting.