Tesla drops Dojo supercomputer as Musk turns to Nvidia, Samsung chips

Tesla has officially discontinued its in-house Dojo supercomputer project, which aimed to develop custom AI training chips to enhance autonomous driving and reduce reliance on external chipmakers. The decision follows several key departures from the Dojo team, including project head Peter Bannon. CEO Elon Musk explained that maintaining two distinct AI chip designs was inefficient, leading Tesla to refocus efforts on developing the AI5 and AI6 chips. These next-generation chips will be produced in partnership with Samsung’s new Texas factory, with production of AI5 chips expected to start by the end of 2026. The Dojo project was initially central to Tesla’s strategy to build proprietary AI infrastructure for self-driving cars, robots, and data centers, involving significant investment in top chip architects. However, the initiative faced persistent delays and setbacks, with prominent leaders like Jim Keller and Ganesh Venkataramanan having left previously. Many former Dojo team members have moved to a stealth startup, DensityAI, which is pursuing similar AI chip goals