• To find the best stuffing recipe, I turned to Ina Garten, Paula Deen, Ree Drummond, Sunny Anderson.
• Anderson's recipe was my favorite because of its mostly savory flavor and easy preparation. 
• Both Deen and Drummond's stuffing required the extra step of baking homemade cornbread.

For many Thanksgiving menus, stuffing is a must — but the countless recipes and techniques can make this Turkey Day staple feel overwhelming. 

In search of the best stuffing recipe, I turned to celebrity chefs Ina Garten, Paula Deen, Ree Drummond, and Sunny Anderson. Here's how their recipes stacked up. 

Garten's herb-and-apple stuffing features plenty of fresh ingredients

Unlike the other recipes I tested, Garten's stuffing requires only one type of bread — baguettes — which made it easier to prepare.

I also appreciated the addition of fresh herbs, but was unsure how I'd like the apples and almonds combined with the savory onions and celery. This recipe yields a huge portion, so I cut it in half.

This stuffing was quite easy to make

Overall, the process was pretty simple. While the bread was drying in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, I sautéed the veggies, apples, and herbs in a saucepan with butter.

Once the mixture was combined, I poured it and the vegetable stock over the bread cubes.

This recipe calls for cooking the filling inside a turkey cavity for two-and-a-half hours at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

I wasn't making a turkey for this taste test, so I baked the stuffing at the same temperature in a shallow dish for an hour instead. 

I enjoyed the apples but not the almonds

The final dish was pretty crispy and golden on top, but its center looked less appetizing. 

The texture was OK, and the insides definitely seemed soggy. I probably could've avoided this by adding a little less broth than instructed. 

Next time, I'd definitely omit the nuts. I used slivered almonds, and their crunchiness, size, and shape threw off the dish's overall texture.

The crusty breaded exterior was delicious and added all of the crunch this dish needed. 

I could definitely taste the rosemary, and I actually enjoyed the apples, which added a slight sweetness to the stuffing that balanced the other savory flavors.

Deen's recipe calls for a lot of butter and homemade cornbread

In true Deen fashion, this stuffing recipe calls for a full stick of butter. 

I was also unsure about the mixture of carbs here — saltine crackers, white bread, and cornbread, which I made from scratch using Deen's recipe.

My stuffing mix ended up with too much broth, some of which I had to carefully pour out before baking

For the carbs, I started by making cornbread — a quick and easy process that resulted in a savory, slightly dense dish — and dried white-bread slices in the oven.

I then sautéed the veggies with the stick of butter and mixed all of the prepared ingredients in a bowl. 

When adding the vegetable stock, I stopped after about five cups because the mixture already looked far too soggy. I was shocked that the recipe asked for seven cups.

Still concerned about the texture, I poured out more broth before adding five eggs to the mix.

I then transferred everything into a shallow, glass baking dish. It took about an hour in the oven for the mix to really crisp up.

The flavor was fine, but the texture was disappointing

The top was slightly golden, but it didn't get as crispy as the other recipes I tested. 

When I took a bite, I found the interior was far too soggy — there was definitely too much broth, and the crackers turned mushy after absorbing the liquid. 

The flavor was OK — very savory and buttery — but the extra-soggy texture was not appetizing. 

If I made this again, I'd swap some of the crackers for more bread and use significantly less broth.  

Drummond's stuffing recipe requires 3 kinds of bread

The Pioneer Woman's recipe calls for a lot of bread — three different types, including homemade cornbread. Since I already had the ingredients needed to make Deen's cornbread, I used that option for this dish as well. 

In addition to a large amount of bread, this recipe also requires a lot of parsley.

The process involved making cornbread and carefully ladling broth onto the cubed carbs

I noticed a little too late that I was supposed to dry the bread out for one to two days, but I threw it in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, and it still firmed up really well. 

In general, this recipe had a similar process to the other two, from making the cornbread and dehydrating the other carbs to sautéeing the veggies. 

The recipe instructed me to add six cups of broth to the sautéed vegetables, then ladle this mixture onto the tossed bread cubes until they were soaked to my liking.

I preferred this approach, as it was easier to control and prevent the stuffing from becoming soggy. 

My stuffing took about 40 minutes in the oven — not the 20 to 30 minutes the recipe called for — but the extra time helped it achieve a crisp, golden top.

The flavor would've been better with less celery

Although the stuffing was toasty on top, it still looked soggy inside.

However, upon tasting it, the dish's flavor and texture weren't bad at all. The center was slightly soggy but not overwhelmingly so, and the extra-crispy top helped balance the texture. 

My only issue with this recipe was that it had way too much celery. I'm not a fan of it in general, but I can tolerate it in moderate amounts — still, almost every bite tasted strongly of it. 

That said, the savory, herby bites with minimal celery were delicious. 

Anderson's stuffing recipe has 4 flavor combinations to choose from

Anderson's simple and quick recipe combines store-bought stuffing mix with sautéed veggies, broth, and herbs to make it taste homemade. 

I swapped turkey stock for vegetable broth since I wasn't eating meat products at the time, and I left out the thyme as a personal preference. 

Anderson also shared four add-on combinations to give the dish more flavor — sausage and bell peppers, oysters and hard-boiled eggs, walnuts and apples, and sautéed fennel bulb and dried apricots. I opted for the last combo. 

Most of the prep work involved chopping veggies

This recipe was quick to put together. For the base, I just dumped the stuffing mix into a bowl and added freshly chopped parsley. 

I got to work mincing the garlic and chopping the onion, celery, fennel bulb, sage, and dried apricots. Then I cooked the veggies, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper in a pan until the mix started to soften.

After combining the sautéed mixture with the boxed stuffing and vegetable broth, I added the dried apricots and pressed everything into a glass baking dish. 

I covered the whole thing with foil and let it bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, I removed the foil and cooked it for an additional 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

The stuffing turned out crispy and flavorful

I was worried this recipe would turn out too soggy since it's meant to be a wet dressing, but it actually baked up really well.

It came out of the oven with a soft, almost creamy center and an extra-crispy exterior. 

The sautéed veggies created a very savory flavor profile, and I couldn't even taste the celery. 

I was also a little unsure about the apricots, but they added a touch of sweetness and melt-in-your-mouth texture. 

Anderson's easy stuffing was my favorite, but all of these recipes would be worth making again with a few tweaks

If I had to choose a favorite, I'd go for Anderson's unique stuffing.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the fennel-and-apricot combination — it added an interesting twist to the dish but still felt traditional. Plus, this recipe was the quickest and easiest to make.

I also loved the flavor of Garten's herby stuffing with rosemary and apple, but next time, I'd leave out the almonds and use less broth.

Deen's recipe had an enjoyable savory, buttery flavor, but it needed far less liquid to fix the texture. I think adding more bread would also help. 

For Drummond's stuffing, I'd use slightly less broth for an even better texture and way less celery to help the flavor of the sautéed veggies and fresh herbs shine.

This story was originally published on November 19, 2020, and most recently updated on November 25, 2025.

• If your oven is full on Thanksgiving or simply out of commission, oven-free recipes can help.
• Salads, slow-cooker recipes, and pasta are all beloved dishes that don't require an oven.
• We've found 15 Thanksgiving dishes that are completely oven-free.

Whether your oven is crammed full of turkey or it's woefully small, sometimes baking and roasting isn't an option on Thanksgiving.

This week, people all over the country will be making multiple dishes for Thanksgiving dinner, using every available cooking surface they can, and spending an average of 9.6 hours in preparation for their guests, per 2025 WalletHub data.

Thankfully, there are plenty of Thanksgiving staples or updated versions of the classics that don't require any oven space at all. Even the precious turkey can stay out of that fateful appliance on November 27.

Here are the easiest foods you can whip up this Thanksgiving — no oven required.

If you want to use your oven for other dishes, you could use a deep fryer for your turkey.

Deep-frying a turkey is still serious business — one that can end in a fiery disaster.

Here's the best way to fry your turkey.

If your oven is full, you can leave soup simmering on the stove or in a slow cooker.

As part of Business Insider's ongoing taste-test series, we've tried the best canned chicken noodle soups. Any of these would be perfect to whip up on Thanksgiving.

If you're not into chicken soup, you can also check out these soups that will keep you warm during the cold weather, and these don't even require a stove, just a slow cooker.

Mashed potatoes can be made from a mix or in the slow cooker.

Instant mashed potatoes are polarizing but extremely simple. Here are the best instant mashed potatoes you can buy at the store.

If you're looking to make your mashed potatoes from scratch, these mashed potatoes hacks will take this classic dish to the next level.

Alternatively, you can make delicious, creamy mashed potatoes in a slow cooker. Business Insider's Erin McDowell called it "basically a set-it-and-forget-it dish."

Spinach casserole is another dish you can make in your slow cooker.

Casseroles are a favorite, especially on Thanksgiving. This slow-cooker spinach casserole is sure to be a big hit.

You could also use a slow cooker for your bird, freeing up oven space.

It's a great tool to utilize on Turkey Day.

Here are recipes for slow-cooking your turkey.

Cranberry sauce is a classic Thanksgiving side dish, and all you need to do is open a can.

Find out which grocery-store cranberry sauce was named our favorite.

And don't forget, you should always open your cranberry sauce upside down.

Stuffing is a Thanksgiving essential that doesn't need to spend time in the oven.

There's not one specific recipe for stuffing, and thus no one way to cook it. Here's an "everything" stuffing recipe that goes in the slow cooker, or a stove-top Thanksgiving stuffing.

Business Insider also tried an air-fryer stuffing recipe that was tasty, if not a bit time-consuming.

Sweet potatoes are extremely versatile, and all you need to do is stick them in the microwave.

Sweet potatoes are a source of beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A once consumed.

All you need to do to successfully cook a sweet potato is to prick its skin with a fork and throw it in the microwave for 6 to 8 minutes.

You can make candied yams in an air fryer.

A Business Insider reporter tried out an air-fryer recipe recipe for candied yams and called it "ridiculously easy."

There are plenty of ways to make cheesecake festive without turning on the oven.

There are many different no-bake recipes out there, but here are some of our favorites: apple-pie cheesecake cups, caramel apple cheesecake, and pumpkin cheesecake.

Technically, we recommended Martha Stewart's no-bake cheesecake for summer, but it's a year-round dessert in our eyes.

Cauliflower, or any vegetable really, tastes great pan-fried.

Here's a recipe for pan-fried cauliflower.

Creamed corn turns corn on the cob into an autumnal side dish.

Creamed corn is corn that's scraped off the cob and combined with milk, cream, or even cream cheese, depending on the recipe.

We've included a classic creamed-corn recipe, which involves simmering the corn over a stove top, and a slow-cooker variation.

Salad is a tried and true side that involves no cooking at all.

Even though Thanksgiving is all about eating until your stomach gives out, that doesn't mean it has to all be unhealthy.

Salads are a solid way to consume something green this Thanksgiving. We've ranked the healthiest lettuces and leafy greens, and listed everything you need to make your salad as healthy as possible.

Green-bean casserole is another staple at the Thanksgiving table.

Green-bean casserole is even more popular than most casseroles on Turkey Day. Even though casseroles are generally baked in the oven, there are ways around that particular rule. Just check out this skillet green-bean casserole or this microwave version.

However, if you have oven space for a green-bean casserole, Business Insider ranked recipes from chefs Alton Brown, Ree Drummond, and Alex Guarnaschelli.

Everyone's favorite pasta dish, mac and cheese, only requires a pot and a stove.

Whether you're making boxed mac and cheese or working from scratch, this pasta side is always a hit with adults, kids, foodies, and picky eaters alike.

• The F-35s that participated in the US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities flew deep into its airspace.
• The fighter jets escorted the B-2 stealth bombers and were the last to leave Iranian airspace.
• Commanders involved in Operation Midnight Hammer said the mission validated the F-35's capabilities.

The American F-35 stealth fighters that participated in the Operation Midnight Hammer strikes on Iran flew hundreds of miles deep into its airspace and were the last ones out, US military commanders revealed this week.

F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to the Utah-based 388th Fighter Wing escorted the B-2 Spirit stealth bombers that dropped over a dozen heavy bunker-buster bombs on Iran's nuclear facilities in late June.

The F-35s suppressed Iran's air defenses and cleared the way for other combat aircraft, including the seven B-2s, during the complex nighttime operation.

"We flew hundreds of miles into Iran, escorting the B-2s the entire way," Lt. Col. Aaron Osborne, commander of the 34th Fighter Squadron, shared in a US Air Force story. "We employed weapons to great effect against multiple surface-to-air missile sites."

After the B-2s dropped a total of 14 bunker-buster bombs — 30,000-pound munitions called GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators — on Iranian nuclear facilities, the F-35s protected their exit from the attack zone.

The advanced US fighter jets were the last ones out of Iranian airspace, the 388th Fighter Wing said on Monday, sharing new details on the operation. US officials said Tehran did not fire at any American aircraft during Midnight Hammer.

The airmen of the 388th Fighter Wing, located at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, train nearly every day for suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) missions, the military said.

The F-35 pilots can use the jet's stealth, radar, targeting systems, and advanced sensors to detect surface-to-air missile threats, as they did in Iran.

The F-35 fighter, built by US defense giant Lockheed Martin, has been battle-tested against a wide range of threats in a mix of engagements since its first flight nearly 20 years ago — from Middle East wars to penetrating Israeli strikes inside Iran to the downing of Russian drones over NATO territory. The jet is flown by militaries around the world, including many NATO allies.

While the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is considered a top fifth-generation fighter jet, it is also the world's most expensive weapons program, with a lifetime cost of $2 trillion, and has faced sustainability and maintenance challenges in recent years, leading several Trump allies to publicly criticize the aircraft and its capabilities.

And tensions earlier this year between the Trump administration and some European allies have also raised questions about and even appeared to threaten future sales of the stealth jet.

However, Midnight Hammer commanders praised the F-35 and said that its participation in the operation highlights its combat prowess.

"The effectiveness of this strike validated all of the capabilities of the F-35 we've been talking about for years — stealth, lethality, sensor-fusion, being a force multiplier," said Col. Charles Fallon, 388th Fighter Wing commander.

He said the operation relied on the F-35 pilots and their aircraft to perform, "and both proved more than capable."

US forces struck three Iranian nuclear facilities — specifically Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — with 75 precision weapons during Operation Midnight Hammer, which came amid a broader war between Iran and Israel. American officials said that the munitions included the bunker-busters and dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Beyond the F-35s and B-2s, American F-22 fighter jets, as well as F-15s and F-16s, and dozens of aerial refueling tankers participated in the surprise operation, along with a US Navy missile submarine.

• Lamia Scott and her young son moved into her mother's home after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
• The third grader frequently helps keep his grandmother, 75, calm during her periods of agitation.
• Scott said caregiving is tough, but she is bolstered by the support of other people in her position.

This story is based on a conversation with Lamia Scott, 43, a flight attendant from Dallas, Texas. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I've always considered my mom, Marvia, my best friend because of her love, kindness, and intelligence.

We were so close that my son, Braxton, now 9, and I lived in an apartment complex right across the street from her home. We were in and out of each other's places, and she often babysat.

As a single mom, I was particularly grateful for the support. She doted on her grandson, and the feeling was mutual.

Mom began to get forgetful

She is a former softball coach who has always prioritized her health. But three years ago, she started to act out of character. She began to experience forgetfulness and become easily irritated.

There were a few times when she'd say, "Why don't you bring Braxton over? I want to see him." When I did, she'd ask, "What are y'all doing here?"

We'd go out to eat, and she'd get angry with the wait staff for no reason. Then she'd start crying out of the blue. She'd never behaved that way before.

I began to worry about her safety after smelling gas in her home. I'd come in through the garage, and it would hit me, but she was unaware that she'd accidentally put the stove on.

It wasn't easy persuading her to see the doctor because she insisted nothing was wrong. But she was referred to a neurologist who diagnosed her with Alzheimer's — later classified as Alzheimer's with agitation — in December 2023.

We moved in with Mom because it made sense

Mom was in denial, but the news confirmed my fears. My maternal grandmother had suffered from the disease, and Mom was her primary caregiver for 12 years while she lived with our family. I knew what that road looked like.

My son and I left our rental apartment and moved in with my mom just three weeks after her diagnosis. She was my priority, and it made sense for us all to be under the same roof.

Braxton was in heaven because he loved being around his nana. But he noticed the difference too, and would comment on how much she repeated herself. He'd also wonder why she sometimes yelled at him when she'd been so understanding before.

"Why does Nana hate me?" he would say. I had to educate him about Alzheimer's and explain about the agitation it caused. I told him that we were there to help. It made him proud to feel a part of her care team.

Braxton is good at redirecting his beloved nana

There have been times when I've gotten frustrated and said to Mom, "You said the same thing five seconds ago," when she repeats herself.

But Braxton will redirect her and say, "Nana, it's OK, you can ask me again, and let's try to figure it out." I'm really impressed with his grace.

One of the greatest challenges was managing Mom's tendency to wander. I'd come home to find her not there, and I'd call her cellphone. Then I could hear it ringing somewhere in the house because she'd forgotten it.

She'd get in the car and drive for miles without knowing where she was. We've now got a tracker app on her phone and a Ring camera, which helps us monitor her whereabouts.

I know I'm not alone in this situation

They say it takes a village, and our neighbors have been great. If they see her out and about and can't persuade her to return, they'll text or call. I also find support through the organization, Alzheimer's Agitation, which gives advice and connects me with other people in the same position, so I know I'm not alone.

Still, it's hard for me not to feel overwhelmed when I try to juggle caregiving, single motherhood, and my job. We use a care service when I'm working for an extended period, and I may occasionally take family leave through FMLA.

I'll sometimes feel guilty when I think about how Mom coped with the stress of caring for my grandmother with dementia without complaint. But I think I'm doing the best I can for the woman I love so much.

• My family of four spent 46 hours traveling from Chicago to Seattle in two Amtrak roomettes.
• The roomettes were small but comfortable, and we got to see lots of gorgeous views along the way.
• The rail trip was nice, but it ended up costing more than our first-class flights home.

I've always been a fan of trains. As a child, my favorite book was "The Little Engine that Could," and I've seen the Hitchcock classic "North by Northwest" at least a half dozen times.

So, when I saw that Amtrak offered cross-country train travel, I was immediately intrigued.

I'd taken a five-hour train ride from Detroit to Chicago before, but I'd never been on a longer journey by rail. It seemed like a unique way to kick off our annual family vacation.

We chose the Empire Builder, which travels from Chicago to Seattle over the span of 46 hours. Here's what the experience was like.

We booked roomettes, which also came with a few special perks

I did a lot of research before booking tickets for our group of four adults and settled on two roomettes directly across the hall from each other for $2,988. It felt like the best value.

On the day of our trip, we arrived at Chicago's Union Station about an hour before our train was scheduled to depart. Sleeper-car guests get complimentary access to a lounge, where we enjoyed comfortable seating and a buffet of snacks.

Our ticket also included priority boarding. When it was time to get on board, an employee escorted us through the terminal and to our railcar.

Before we left the station, our dedicated attendant stopped by to introduce himself, point out the restrooms and coffee station, explain the dining policies, and let us know how to reach him if we had any questions or concerns.

The roomettes felt small but comfortable

When we entered our roomettes, I was immediately thankful I'd done my research.

Some online reviews I saw had noted that the space was small — measuring 3 feet by 6 feet wide and 6 feet by 6 feet long — and didn't offer much room to store luggage.

We each only brought a small backpack into the space with us and were able to store our larger luggage on a rack near the door.

Although the quarters felt tight, I thought they easily accommodated two people.

During the day, the roomette had two seats that faced each other. At night, they slid together to make a bed with a portable mattress cushion. I slept here and thought it was surprisingly comfortable.

The upper bunk lowered from the ceiling, and carpeted nooks served as a ladder. My sons used those beds and thought they were uncomfortable, mainly because train travel is bumpy and the mattress felt thin.

When reached for comment, an Amtrak representative said that "depending on the size of the person in the upper bunk, adding a second mattress is a possibility."

Knowing this, I'd consider requesting another mattress if we were to book these rooms again.

Unlike Amtrak's bedroom car option, though, which would've cost about $1,000 more per room, the roomettes don't include private bathrooms.

Instead, each railcar has three shared facilities similar to airplane restrooms and one separate shower room.

However, I made an adventure out of it and decided that walking down the hall in my pajamas in the middle of the night to use the communal restroom would be like being in my freshman college dorm again.

There were a few downsides to the sleeper car

For me, the biggest downside of the roomette was that it only had one outlet, which made charging two devices inconvenient. Next time, I'd definitely bring an adaptor with me.

Plus, the walls seemed pretty thin. On the first night, we were laughing and got shushed by the man in the next cabin.

We also realized way too late into the trip that the PA system in our railcar didn't seem to be working properly.

Since we couldn't clearly hear station and stop announcements from our roomettes, figuring out when we could get off the train was a bit tricky.

We didn't notice this issue until our trip was just about over — otherwise, we would've alerted a staff member.

Several meals were included in the cost of our trip

As sleeper-car passengers, we each had two dinners, two breakfasts, and one lunch included in the price of our tickets.

Each afternoon, the dining manager visited our room to book our dining-car dinner reservations.

Unfortunately, by the time he got to us each day, the only time slots available were the first and last. Luckily, we prefer dining late, so this wasn't an issue.

Plus, the food in the dining car was surprisingly good. We chose omelets for breakfast, and burgers and salads for lunch.

For dinner, my daughter-in-law and I liked the pan-roasted chicken best, while my sons enjoyed the Amtrak signature flat-iron steak.

Entrées came with an appetizer or salad, side dishes like vegetables and rustic mashed potatoes, and dessert. The options were varied enough that everyone found something they liked.

However, we all agreed the best thing we ate was the chocolate cake.

One of the best parts about the trip was how many beautiful views we got to take in

On the first night, we drifted off to sleep while passing the St. Paul-Minneapolis skyline, and woke in North Dakota with open plains as far as the eye could see. Once we crossed into Montana's "Big Sky" country later that afternoon, rolling hills cut into the landscape.

Our favorite scenery was passing through Glacier National Park during dinner on the second night. Seeing the Rocky Mountains backlit by a beautiful sunset was breathtaking.

On our final day, we awoke to a view of Washington's thick forests and winding rivers, ending up in downtown Seattle a few hours after breakfast.

Overall, we had a nice experience, but probably wouldn't do it again

For my family, extended train travel is probably a one-and-done experience.

Although we had a nice trip and the views along the way were nice, I'd find it hard to pay more for a longer (and slower) travel experience again.

After all, our eight-hour one-way, first-class flights back totaled $2,118, which was less than what I paid for the Amtrak roomettes.

Sure, we could've saved money on train fare by booking standard coach tickets, which I've seen listed for between $560 and $2,060 for four adults on this route. However, we wouldn't have had access to actual beds.

That said, I'd definitely consider a solo journey on a different route, because an Amtak sleeper car is a pretty great spot to unplug, read, and write.

• Elon Musk said it's "crazy" that none of Tesla's rivals want to pay for its self-driving tech.
• Tesla has been talking about licensing its Full Self-Driving tech for years.
• FSD has faced scrutiny, with regulators launching a probe after reports of Teslas running red lights.

Elon Musk can't understand why Tesla's rivals don't want to pay for its self-driving tech.

The Tesla CEO said on Tuesday that other automakers aren't interested in licensing the company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, despite his warnings that they risk dying out without it.

"I've tried to warn them and even offered to license Tesla FSD, but they don't want it! Crazy…" wrote Musk in a post on X.

"When legacy auto does occasionally reach out, they tepidly discuss implementing FSD for a tiny program in 5 years with unworkable requirements for Tesla, so pointless," he added, following up with two dinosaur emojis.

Tesla's Full Self-Driving technology enables the car to handle most tasks autonomously, but it still requires human supervision. Licensing it to other automakers has long been floated as a way for Tesla to monetize its autonomous vehicle push.

Musk told investors in April 2024 that Tesla was in discussion with one major automaker over a deal, and in January said the EV giant had seen "significant interest" in paying for FSD.

"I think the interest level from other manufacturers to license FSD will be extremely high once it is obvious that unless you have FSD, you're dead," the billionaire said on a January earnings call.

Musk's latest comments suggest that Tesla won't be striking deals anytime soon.

FSD speedbumps

FSD and its predecessor, Autopilot, have faced significant regulatory scrutiny over the past few years.

Last month, the US auto regulator launched an investigation into reports that Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD were running red lights and driving the wrong way down the road. It followed another probe covering 2.4 million FSD-equipped Teslas last year.

Tesla has also faced numerous lawsuits over FSD and Autopilot. In August, Tesla was found partially liable for a deadly crash involving Autopilot and ordered to pay $242 million in damages. The company said it intends to appeal.

None of this has stopped Tesla from going all in on self-driving. The company is racing to meet Musk's ambitious goal of expanding its robotaxi service to eight to 10 metro areas by the end of the year, and has recently cleared crucial regulatory hurdles in Nevada and Arizona.

How long it will take for Tesla to cash in on its self-driving push is unclear, however. In the company's latest earnings, executives said around 12% of drivers are paying for FSD, with quarterly revenue from the technology falling compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, several of the company's rivals have struck their own self-driving deals.

Toyota announced a partnership with robotaxi firm Waymo in April to bring self-driving tech to "personally owned vehicles," while Lucid is teaming up with Uber and autonomous vehicle startup Nuro to launch robotaxis in San Francisco next year.

• Russian infiltration teams are sneaking past Ukrainian lines under the cover of inclement weather.
• A senior Ukrainian defense official said these conditions make Russian incursion tactics more successful.
• Ukrainian soldiers have described the Russian tactics as increasingly problematic.

Small Russian infiltration teams are exploiting bad weather to sneak past Ukrainian lines and cause major problems for Kyiv's forces, a senior defense official told Business Insider.

Lt. Col. Yurii Myronenko, Ukraine's deputy minister of defense for innovation, said that drones are responsible for strikes on roughly 90% of all targets struck on the battlefield and have made large-scale armor assaults extremely challenging.

But drones alone are not enough to hold the line and stop the enemy from breaking through, he said. Dense fog and other inclement weather provide ideal cover for Russian infiltration tactics.

"Infiltration by small groups, sometimes just one person with a rifle and grenades, whose task is to hide in a basement or dugout, is difficult to counter," the former drone unit commander said.

While drones have provided front-line units with constant battlefield surveillance in Ukraine, they are constrained by limited visibility in bad weather, which appears to have presented Russian forces with an opportunity.

Ukrainian soldiers have described the infiltration tactics to Business Insider as a growing problem that is happening more often now than it was earlier in the war, especially in the eastern regions.

Russia's infiltration teams often consist of just a few soldiers who are sent on a range of missions, including seizing key positions and holding them until reinforcements arrive, disrupting Ukraine's drone operations, and planting mines near troops' locations.

The Ukrainian soldiers said that once the Russian infiltrators slip past the defensive lines, they start stirring up trouble, forcing Kyiv to divert much-needed troops from other areas to deal with the incursion. These are high-risk missions for Russia, and many soldiers have been killed executing them.

Even with good weather, the front line stretches some 800 miles across Ukraine. Drones can't monitor every single inch of the sprawling battlefield, and Kyiv is also facing a serious manpower crisis — factors that create space for surprise infiltrations.

Russia's defense ministry and its US embassy did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on these tactics.

Earlier this month, Russian forces used bad weather as cover to push deeper into Pokrovsk, a war-torn city in the eastern Ukrainian Donetsk region that has become the site of some of the conflict's most intense fighting.

Thick fog allowed Russian soldiers to advance on foot, by motorbike, and in cars, shielding them from Ukrainian drones and cameras that struggled to operate in the low visibility.

Meanwhile, despite the limits of drone tech in bad weather, Myronenko said uncrewed systems continue to expand the "gray zone" between Ukraine and Russia.

Ukrainian soldiers previously described the gray zone to Business Insider as an area of the front line where there is no true line of contact and key positions on both sides have been moved back beyond the reach of shorter-range drones.

"Autonomous drones can make the kill zone large enough for the situation to resemble World War I, when the Western front remained static for years due to the lack of breakthrough technological superiority on either side," Myronenko said.

• Mark Cuban says Big Tech's AI race mirrors the 1990s engine search wars, and could end the same way.
• He warns that major players, such as Google and OpenAI, are overspending in a winner-takes-all race.
• The investor says an AI bubble could burst soon, leaving one giant standing and everyone else broke.

Mark Cuban says the race to build the world's most powerful AI model looks eerily similar to the 1990s search-engine boom — and could end the same way: with one dominant player and everyone else left behind.

"You've got five, six, whatever it is, companies that are trying to create the ultimate foundational model that we all depend on," Cuban said on the "Pioneers of AI" podcast.

"It's almost like in the '90s when all the search engines were competing pre-Google… There were all these different [ones] and you didn't know if it was going to be a winner-take-all, or a top five."

"Now, we know with search engines it's Google, and then there's Bing, as, like, 1 or 2% and DuckDuckGo has got a half a percent. So it's effectively a winner-take-all," he added. "And that's going to be really scary because there will come a time where they have to live up to the economics."

Inside the AI arms race

Cuban said the major AI players — including Google, Meta, and OpenAI — are "spending everything, consuming every resource that they can just in case it's winner take all."

But he warned that this race to build the most powerful model could create its own kind of bubble — a view shared to varying extents by many tech and business leaders, including Sam Altman, Bill Gates, and Ray Dalio.

"They may be overspending," he said. "And if they overspend or get too caught up, the bubble is in the competition between all those models because that could pop just like that with any new technology."

The billionaire investor said he's also concerned about the infrastructure behind AI — particularly the vast and expensive data centers now being built to power large models.

"I just can't imagine over a 10-year period that we aren't going to improve the technology enough that if you overspend on today's technology," he said. "It just doesn't feel right to me."

Cuban believes the real disruption won't come from incremental improvements but from something "incredible" that no one sees coming.

"Somebody's going to come up with some incredible shit, right? If I knew what it was, I'd do it," he said.

He's seen this movie before

Cuban has lived through this kind of moment before. The former Shark Tank star made his fortune during the dot-com boom and said he recognizes the same combination of excitement, hype, and overspending now playing out in AI.

"They anticipate for at least another decade spending every penny they have," he said of the major model developers.

"I mean, if that's not ripe for disruption to come up with better ways, I don't know what is."

For Cuban, the outcome of the AI wars will depend not just on who builds the biggest model, but on who builds the smartest one.

And, he warned, history suggests most players won't survive long enough to find out.

• Two AI startup founders said that they initially pretended to be AI to validate their product idea.
• Their viral LinkedIn post sparked debate over startup practices in Silicon Valley.
• "You can't fake it till you make it forever," said Krish Ramineni, CEO of Fieflies.ai.

Sam Udotong said he and Fireflies.ai cofounder Krish Ramineni manually took notes for over 100 meetings while pretending to be an AI bot called Fred.

The AI startup's story, posted to LinkedIn by Udotong, raised eyebrows over its "fake it till you make it" approach.

Udotong, CTO of Fireflies.ai, which built a product to automate note-taking for online meetings, wrote that the company's first batch of customers in 2017 were getting a human-run Fred.

The post soon went viral on LinkedIn, with nearly 3,000 reactions and hundreds of comments. While some applauded the founders for their approach, others raised questions.

Fireflies.ai is now valued at $1 billion, largely thanks to the rise of virtual meetings during the pandemic.

When Ramineni and Udotong came up with the concept of a meeting notetaker AI, their backs were "against the wall," Ramineni told Business Insider.

"So we said, we're down to our last bit of money, let's figure something out, but this time, before we write a line of code, let's make sure that we can actually validate it," said Ramineni, the CEO of Fireflies.ai. "And we had to pay rent, and SF is really expensive."

Ramineni was living off savings after a brief stint with Microsoft, and Udotong had never had a full time job. To validate their idea, Ramineni said, they reached out to some friends in the tech space and asked them if they would be willing to pay $100 a month for their meeting notes to be fully taken care of in 2017.

Ramineni said that he told those friends that there would be some human involvement and oversight, but did not specify that the process was actually entirely manual. Posing as an AI bot called Fred, the two founders said they joined meetings and took notes by hand, and they usually delivered the notes within a day.

"We had just enough money to pay for the rent where Sam was staying, and we found incredible demand," Ramineni told Business Insider.

Unlike an AI bot, the founders are humans who could not be omnipresent, and Ramineni said it took about a hundred such sessions for them to grow weary of back-to-back meetings and feel the constant stress about being double-booked.

Ramineni said that Fireflies.ai had not approached any investors until they were already working on the fully automated product, and there was no overlap between investment and the founders pretending to be AI.

By late 2018, the product development was full steam ahead, and they had stopped manually taking notes for customers. Ramineni said they were kept afloat by small checks from angel investors. At the end of 2019, Fireflies.ai was able to beta test its product and do live demos for institutional investors, allowing them to raise a seed fund of more than $4 million.

"We told them, actually, for the first couple of users, we sat down, took notes for them, and it helped us realize and understand what it means to do good notes," said Ramineni of the investors. "And then they were impressed with how we validated the problem first, and then we went and built the product."

The 'fake it till you make it' approach

Tim Weiss, a professor of management and entrepreneurship at Imperial College London, told Business Insider that Fireflies.ai's approach sounds like "pretotyping," which is a very common but "questionable" practice.

"Basically, you pretend you have a product to learn about how people engage with it before you build it," said Weiss. "This is something that is done at the very early stages of a startup to validate an idea, but of course not later on."

In other words, Fireflies.ai may have simply said the quiet part out loud.

The startup may have skimped on details with early customers, but it did not approach institutional investors until the company had a functioning product to show, the founders said.

Kevin Werbach, professor of legal studies and business ethics at the Wharton School of Business, told Business Insider that, despite the risks, "fake it till you make it" is a "hallowed element" of tech startup culture.

"When done right, it's Steve Jobs' 'reality distortion field' and countless entrepreneurs that fudged on details to get the time or resources needed to make those claims real," said Werbach. "When done wrong, it's Elizabeth Holmes going to jail."

"Most situations are in the middle," Werbach added.

The "reality distortion field" is a term coined by Steve Jobs, the cofounder of Apple, referring to his ability to convince himself and others that seemingly impossible tasks are achievable through the force of will.

According to the "Internet History Podcast," a show that documents the rise of technology that may seem commonplace right now, the iPhone was frequently failing when Jobs made a sleek demonstration of it back in 2007. Engineers determined a specific order of demo actions for Jobs to perform to prevent the phone from crashing, and hard-coded all the demo units to display five bars of cell strength.

Facebook's stand-alone personal assistant, called "M," which was shut down in 2018, was also powered by humans to answer the most complex queries, according to The Verge. The goal was that those humans would help train the AI. The product never made it past its private beta stage, The Verge reported.

Ramineni said that as of today, the AI in Fireflies has done over 2 billion meeting minutes and has taken notes for 20 million people, which would be about 4,000 years of meetings if calculated by an eight-hour workday.

"It's fair to have a lot of skepticism around AI, and I definitely do believe that you have to be transparent in that if you're raising funds, talking to investors, building the product," said Ramineni. "You can't fake it till you make it forever — that's not how it works."