Tesla Dojo Shutdown: Elon Musk Confirms Closure

Tesla Discontinues Dojo Supercomputer Project

Recent reports confirmed by Elon Musk indicate that Tesla has dismantled the team dedicated to its Dojo AI training supercomputer. This decision arrives only weeks after projections suggested the second Tesla cluster would be operational “at scale” by 2026.

Strategic Shift to AI6

According to a post on X, the social media platform owned by Musk, the discontinuation stemmed from a convergence of development paths towards AI6. He stated that maintaining the Dojo project, specifically Dojo 2, became an untenable path forward.

Musk further explained that the essence of Dojo 3 now exists within a substantial number of AI6 systems-on-a-chip integrated onto a single board.

From Dojo to AI5 and AI6

Initially, Tesla brought its first Dojo supercomputer online, utilizing both Nvidia GPUs and internally developed D1 chips. Plans were in place to construct a second Dojo facility – Dojo 2 – powered by the next-generation D2 chip.

However, the D2 chip’s development has been paused alongside the broader Dojo initiative. Tesla is now concentrating its efforts on the AI5 and AI6 chips, which are being manufactured by TSMC and Samsung, respectively.

Chip Specialization and Efficiency

The AI5 chip is primarily designed to enhance Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities. Conversely, AI6 is intended for both onboard inference – powering self-driving features in vehicles and autonomous functions in humanoid robots – and large-scale AI training.

Musk emphasized that dividing resources between two distinct AI chip designs was inefficient. He believes the Tesla AI5, AI6, and future chips will deliver excellent inference performance and remain competitive in training applications.

He also noted that for supercomputer clusters, utilizing numerous AI5/AI6 chips on a single board simplifies network cabling and significantly reduces costs.

The Evolution of Dojo

Discussions surrounding Dojo began in 2019, with Musk consistently highlighting its importance for achieving full self-driving and enabling the commercialization of humanoid robots. However, mentions of Dojo diminished around August 2024 as Musk began promoting Cortex, a “giant new AI training supercluster” under construction at Tesla’s Austin headquarters.

The current status of Cortex remains uncertain. TechCrunch has contacted Tesla for further information, including the future of the Dojo facility in Buffalo, New York, which received a $500 million investment.

Context of Shifting Priorities

This strategic shift occurs amidst declining electric vehicle sales for Tesla and concerns regarding brand reputation following Musk’s involvement in political discourse. Musk has been actively reassuring investors about Tesla’s future in autonomous technology.

Despite a limited robotaxi launch in Austin this past June, which experienced reported incidents of problematic driving behavior, Musk maintains confidence in the company’s autonomous capabilities.

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