Samsung Initiates Preparations for Production of Tesla's AI5 Chip

Samsung Electronics has begun preparations to manufacture Tesla's next-generation artificial intelligence chip, the AI5, according to industry sources on Monday.

The news follows a post by a Samsung executive on LinkedIn stating that the Tesla AI5 chip has completed its tape-out, marking the finalization of all design work ahead of mass production.

Tape-out is the concluding step in chip design, where a fabless chip design company delivers the finalized design files to a wafer foundry for subsequent manufacturing.

The AI5 is a custom chip developed in-house by Tesla Motors and is designed to provide computing power for the company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, the Optimus humanoid robot, and its artificial intelligence data centers.

The post indicated that the AI5 chip will utilize Samsung's 2-nanometer process technology and will be produced at Samsung's factory in Taylor, Texas, USA, with expectations it will be integrated into Tesla's next-generation products in the near future.

This disclosure marks the first time the market has learned detailed production timing for Samsung's contract manufacturing of the Tesla AI5 chip.

The Taylor wafer fab is anticipated to commence pilot production later this year, with full-scale mass production for key clients like Tesla Motors scheduled to begin in 2027.