Samsung, a key supplier for Tesla, is gearing up to manufacture the AI5 chip, a move that will significantly advance the company’s self-driving initiatives. As reported by Sedaily, Samsung is expediting its preparations for U.S. production of the AI5 chips by recruiting experienced engineers for its Customer Engineering team. These engineers will play a crucial role in addressing complex foundry challenges, ensuring production stability, optimizing yields, and facilitating a smooth manufacturing process for the new project.
The recruitment drive indicates that Tesla’s AI5 project is progressing rapidly at Samsung, one of the two suppliers chosen to fulfill a contract order from the world’s top EV manufacturer. The other supplier, TSMC, is reportedly utilizing a 3nm process, while Samsung is opting for a 2nm process as a trial for the technology.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, recently explained that the different versions of the AI5 chip are a result of how designs are translated into physical form by the manufacturers. The ultimate goal is for both versions to operate identically, despite the inherent challenges. This approach aims to avoid performance discrepancies, similar to the “Chipgate” controversy surrounding Apple’s A9 chips produced by different manufacturers.
The AI5 chip represents Tesla’s next-generation hardware chip for its self-driving program, as well as its Optimus program and other AI-driven features in vehicles and other projects. Currently, Tesla employs the AI4 chip (previously known as HW4) in its vehicles.
Specialized for Tesla’s use, the AI5 chip will collaborate with the company’s Neural Networks to facilitate real-time inference and enable safe and logical decision-making during operation. Musk praised the AI5 chip as an “amazing design” and a significant improvement over the AI4 chip, boasting a 40x speed increase, 8x raw compute power, 9x memory capacity, and 3x efficiency per watt compared to its predecessor.
While a limited number of units will incorporate the AI5 chip next year, high-volume production is scheduled for 2027. Musk has also hinted at the development of the AI6 chip, which is expected to enter production around mid-2028.
Overall, Samsung’s commitment to manufacturing the AI5 chip underscores the ongoing advancements in Tesla’s self-driving technology, setting the stage for future innovations in the automotive industry.