Tesla Shifts Focus from Dojo to Inference Chips for AI Development

Elon Musk announced Tesla will prioritize inference chips for real-time AI decisions, signaling a strategic pivot from its in-house Dojo supercomputer project. The disbanded Dojo team, led by Peter Bannon, had aimed to build custom training chips for processing vehicle data to enhance self-driving software. Musk stated on X that concentrating resources on inference-optimized chips (AI5, AI6) was more efficient than splitting efforts between two chip designs.

Dojo's potential once captivated analysts, with Morgan Stanley valuing it at $500 billion in 2023—comparing its transformative potential to AWS for Amazon. The supercomputer was seen as a gateway to AI services beyond automotive applications. Tesla has not commented on whether this shift impacts its long-term valuation.