Tesla just signed a $16.5 billion contract with Samsung to manufacture an AI chip used in humanoid robots, data centers and, oh yes, autonomous cars as well
- Tesla signs $16.5 billion chip deal with Samsung for AI6 AI chip production
- New chip will power Tesla robots, self-driving cars, and cloud data centers
- Samsung’s Texas fab will manufacture the Tesla chips, which are described as a flexible platform
Tesla has entered into a $16.5 billion agreement with Samsung to manufacture its upcoming AI6 chip, which will be used in wide range of AI-driven applications.
The deal, which was disclosed in a South Korean regulatory filing and later confirmed by Elon Musk, will run from now until the end of 2033.
As CNBC reports, Samsung initially declined to name the counterparty, citing a confidentiality request, but Musk later outed Tesla as the customer, stating Samsung’s upcoming Texas fabrication plant would focus on building Tesla’s AI6 hardware.
Robots, vehicles and data centers
Musk said Tesla would be involved in streamlining the manufacturing process and that he personally planned to oversee progress at the plant.
The AI6 chip is is designed to power a range of systems, including humanoid robots, autonomous vehicles, and AI data centers.
It follows the AI4 chip, currently in use, and AI5, which recently completed design and is planned for production by TSMC using a 3nm process.
At Tesla’s recent Q2 2025 earnings call, the company noted, without giving a reason, that the AI5 hardware would be delayed by a full year, with production now expected at the end of 2026.
Tesla described the AI6 chip as a flexible platform that could scale down for robotic applications and up for large-scale inference workloads.
The company also claimed it could improve inference performance on current hardware by nearly 10x. AS CNBC noted, this comes amid speculation that Tesla may be reaching the limits of its current AI4 architecture.
Former Tesla chip architect Jim Keller, also known for his work on chips at Apple, AMD, and Intel, has previously stated that Tesla would likely need a 5 to 10x performance jump over AI4 to achieve full self-driving capabilities.
Samsung’s involvement in the AI6 marks a strategic win for its foundry business, which is currently behind TSMC in market share.
The company is investing heavily in 2nm production to secure future AI chip orders.
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