Tesla Halts Dojo Project

Tesla has ceased its Dojo AI supercomputer project, resulting in the reassignment of its engineering team. This decision marks a shift in Tesla's strategy, as the company will now rely more on external partners like Nvidia, AMD, and Samsung for AI processing power. The former Dojo team lead, Peter Bannon, has departed from the company.

Approximately 20 engineers previously working on the Dojo project have formed a new AI venture called DensityAI, focusing on developing chips and hardware for AI-driven data centres, robotics, and autonomous systems. Tesla's move comes after securing a $16.5 billion deal with Samsung to manufacture AI6 chips, intended for use in Full Self-Driving (FSD) and Optimus robots. Elon Musk stated the company will consolidate its AI chip development, focusing on a unified architecture for its AI5 and AI6 processors.

The Dojo project, initiated in 2019, aimed to create an in-house supercomputer to process vast amounts of video data for autonomous driving. However, priorities shifted towards a new AI training supercluster named Cortex, signalling the end of the Dojo initiative. This transition suggests a move away from custom-built AI chips towards collaboration with established hardware manufacturers.