Barely a month removed from a jarring incident that involved one of its self-driving cars striking and killing a pedestrian, Uber’s new CEO that autonomous driving technology needs more time because, right now, self-driving cars are just “student drivers.” Uh.

In an appearance on NBC’s Today show, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi asserted that, “Ultimately, self-driving cars will be safer than humans.”

“But right now self-driving cars are learning,” he went on, . “They’re student drivers.”

That’ll surely inspire confidence among the show’s viewers, likely comprised of the very people who . Who enjoys sharing the road with scared-as-shit student drivers?

Here’s more from the Journal:

Mr. Khosrowshahi told “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie that the company was working with investigators to determine whether the ride-hailing firm’s technology was at fault. He also said he is reviewing the company’s safety practices ranging from driver training to software.

I suppose it’s a less aggressive stance than outright blaming the driver, which in discussing a fatal crash involving a Model X that was operating in the vehicle’s semi-autonomous Autopilot mode.

But automakers and self-driving car developers are facing an onslaught of skepticism following last month’s fatal crashes. It’s a sensitive moment, right as more and more companies dump billions into developing self-driving cars to, they hope, be used for commercial purposes.

Maybe Khosrowshahi’s comment won’t get much play by tomorrow. But I can’t imagine the comparison was warmly received by Today’s audience—especially for those who became acquainted with autonomous driving technology only after the recent fatal crashes.