Is "auto" in autopilot short for automatic or automobile? It's just occurred to me it could be either if you want to be strict or pedantic. I automatically assume it's short for automatic pilot, which most people would assume means "it drives - pilots - itself," and that may be reason people assume the technology is more like a chauffeur. But if by autopilot Tesla mean automobile pilot (I admittedly don't think that's the case), then the meaning would probably change.