New Delhi: Tesla's visionary CEO, Elon Musk, confidently declared at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Thursday that the company is poised to introduce fully autonomous vehicles "later this year." Musk, known for his bold predictions, expressed that Tesla is rapidly closing in on achieving complete self-driving capabilities without the need for human intervention. While Tesla's current Autopilot system offers driver-assistance features like lane keeping and adaptive cruise control, it falls short of allowing hands-off driving or diverting attention away from the road. Although Musk has made similar claims in the past, Tesla has yet to deliver a fully autonomous vehicle. Regulators worldwide, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States, have intensified scrutiny of Tesla's Autopilot system following a series of accidents involving Tesla vehicles. Also read: Meta to Launch a Ruthless Product Against Twitter in the World Nonetheless, Musk remains undeterred by the regulatory challenges, expressing unwavering confidence in Tesla's self-driving technology. He stated that the company stands on the precipice of a significant breakthrough and foresees a near future where fully autonomous vehicles become a tangible reality. Also read: Canadian Government Takes Stand Against Meta: Suspends Advertising The question that remains is whether Tesla's self-driving cars will indeed be ready later this year. Tesla has made substantial strides in its self-driving technology over the years, continuously refining its Autopilot system and amassing extensive real-world driving data. Also read: Unveiling Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 on 26 July: checkout the details If Tesla can surmount the regulatory obstacles and further enhance its self-driving capabilities, the advent of fully autonomous vehicles by the end of this year is not beyond the realm of possibility. However, it is also conceivable that Tesla may require additional time for comprehensive development and rigorous testing before its technology attains the readiness for widespread deployment.