Tesla’s Chip and Dojo Supercomputer Chief Departs as Company Shuts Down AI Project

Tesla’s silicon and supercomputing architect, Peter Bannon, has exited the company following a strategic shift away from its in-house Dojo supercomputer program. Bannon, who joined Tesla in 2016 after spearheading Apple’s A-series chip designs, was pivotal in developing Tesla’s custom AI hardware and Dojo—a proprietary system for training autonomous driving algorithms.

The dissolution of the Dojo team marks a retreat from one of Tesla’s most ambitious technical initiatives. The project aimed to process vast volumes of vehicle sensor data using Tesla-designed chips, reducing reliance on external suppliers like Nvidia. Engineers previously assigned to Dojo are being redirected to other data center projects.

CEO Elon Musk personally ordered the shutdown, according to sources familiar with the decision. The MOVE coincides with intensifying competition in AI infrastructure among tech giants and automakers betting on self-driving systems.