No, not really. If you're comparing to planes, they have automated systems that will almost always keep them at a completely different altitude to avoid potential collisions.
Plane pilots have to pay very little attention with autopilot on compared to Tesla drivers with Autopilot on.
> No, not really. If you're comparing to planes, they have automated systems that will almost always keep them at a completely different altitude to avoid potential collisions.
Autopilot in VNAV/LNAV modes does not do this, it follows a programmed flight path.
TCAS is the anti-collision system, but it's a secondary system that only gives information to the pilot. It's up to the pilot to make inputs to avoid a collision.
Pilots are the primary anti-collision system - by using their eyeballs to look for other aircraft when flying under visual flight rules (VFR) and also following clearances/information from controllers when flying under instrument flight rules (IFR).
> Plane pilots have to pay very little attention with autopilot on compared to Tesla drivers with Autopilot on.
There are different autopilots for planes. They differ in capabilities. Mostly the pilot sets a heading, altitude and speed and the airplane will maintain that. The main collision avoidance system is Air Traffic Control telling the pilot where to fly when. Then there are other warning systems that only alert the pilot (terrain and other planes).
The real autopilot in planes is called Auto Flight System and is very recent and needs to be monitored closely.
It can lift off, fly and land on it's own, but basically only in good weather condition.
Names absolutely have meaning. Why do you think Tesla named it “auto pilot” and not something else?