Tesla AI5 chip nears completion, Elon Musk teases 9-month development cadence
Tesla's AI5 chip is nearing completion, with Elon Musk announcing a nine-month development cycle for future chips. He encourages engineers to join Tesla's AI and chip teams, emphasizing the strategic advantage of rapid iteration. Samsung and TSMC are set to manufacture the AI5 chip, which will support Tesla's Full Self-Driving system and other AI initiatives. Musk's update highlights the importance of faster chip cycles in maintaining a competitive edge in AI and autonomy.
Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chip is nearly complete, and work on its successor is already underway, as per a recent update from Elon Musk.
The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.
Musk details AI chip roadmap
In his post, Elon Musk stated that Tesla’s AI5 chip design is “almost done,” while AI6 has already entered early development. Musk added that Tesla plans to continue iterating rapidly, with AI7, AI8, AI9, and future generations targeting a nine-month design cycle.
He also noted that Tesla’s in-house chips could become the highest-volume AI processors in the world. Musk framed his update as a recruiting message, encouraging engineers to join Tesla’s AI and chip development teams.
Tesla community member Herbert Ong highlighted the strategic importance of the timeline, noting that faster chip cycles enable quicker learning, faster iteration, and a compounding advantage in AI and autonomy that becomes increasingly difficult for competitors to close.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 17, 2026Our AI5 chip design is almost done and AI6 is in early stages, but there will be AI7, AI8, AI9 … aiming for a 9 month design cycle.
Join us to work on what I predict will be the highest volume AI chips in the world by far! https://t.co/2Gibfm3yeY
AI5 manufacturing takes shape
Musk’s comments align with earlier reporting on AI5’s production plans. In December, it was reported that Samsung is preparing to manufacture Tesla’s AI5 chip, accelerating hiring for experienced engineers to support U.S. production and address complex foundry challenges.
Samsung is one of two suppliers selected for AI5, alongside TSMC. The companies are expected to produce different versions of the AI5 chip, with TSMC reportedly using a 3nm process and Samsung using a 2nm process.
Musk has previously stated that while different foundries translate chip designs into physical silicon in different ways, the goal is for both versions of the Tesla AI5 chip to operate identically. AI5 will succeed Tesla’s current AI4 hardware, formerly known as Hardware 4, and is expected to support the company’s Full Self-Driving system as well as other AI-driven efforts, including Optimus.
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