> misconception that "autopilot" can drive itself arises.
Probably from autopilots in planes which drive themselves.
But... they really don't. There is a lot of things that will make the auto pilot disengage and you will always need to change the programming enroute.
This! The autopilot on a plane is nothing like a self-driving car. It’s mostly cruise-control in an environment where a collision with another vehicle is much, much less likely than an automobile on an undivided highway.
As far as I know, airplane autopilots are somewhat similar to Tesla's system. They can keep your airplane at a certain airspeed, and keep your airplane in a certain "lane". You are responsible for telling the autopilot which airspeed/direction to keep.