Image: Tesla
Elon Musk has provided a fresh update on Tesla’s next-generation AI chip roadmap, confirming that high-volume production of the company’s in-house AI5 chip will begin in 2027. Musk added that Tesla plans to produce a small number of AI5 units as early as 2026 before scaling up the following year.
“We will have samples and maybe a small number of units in 2026, but high volume production is only possible in 2027,” Musk said on X. Tesla is developing the AI5 chip in partnership with Samsung and TSMC, with both semiconductor giants manufacturing the chip in the U.S. Musk added that “slightly different versions of the Tesla AI5 chip will be made at TSMC and Samsung simply because they translate designs to physical form differently, but the goal is that our AI software works identically.”
Musk also revealed that work on the AI6 chip is already underway. “AI6 will use the same fabs, but achieve roughly 2X performance,” he explained, noting that the next-generation design could go into mass production by mid-2028 as the company is “aiming for a fast follow to AI5.” Beyond that, Musk noted that “AI7 will need different fabs, as it is more adventurous.”
This latest update follows Musk’s comments last week outlining Tesla’s long-term AI-series chip roadmap, with plans already drawn up through AI8. Tesla’s accelerated development timeline comes after Musk decided to scrap the company’s Dojo supercomputer project earlier this year, redirecting all resources toward the AI chip program.
Musk has previously said that AI5 will be “the best inference chip of any kind” in the world, while saying AI6 could become “the best AI chip by far.” During Tesla’s Q3 2025 earnings call, he claimed AI5 would be “40X better than AI4” and deliver the best performance per dollar by a factor of ten.
Tesla signed a massive $16.5 billion deal with Samsung in July to produce the AI6 chip at the South Korean company’s new semiconductor fabrication facility in Taylor, Texas. Musk has hinted that the contract’s total value could grow substantially as Tesla continues scaling production of its AI hardware.
