Samsung Completes Tape-Out of Tesla AI5 Chip

Samsung Electronics has completed the design phase, or tape-out, of Tesla's AI5 chip. The processor will be manufactured using a 2-nanometer process at Samsung's foundry fab in Taylor, Texas. Samsung Foundry Principal Engineer James Kim announced the milestone via LinkedIn, noting that the chip will soon be integrated into Tesla's newest products.

This development follows a previous tape-out of the same chip at TSMC several months earlier. Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed in April that the AI5 would be manufactured concurrently at both foundries to ensure high production volumes. Musk claims the AI5 can provide up to a 40x performance boost over its predecessor in certain workloads. The hardware module integrates an accelerator die with 12 SK hynix memory packages, suggesting a high-bandwidth memory bus.

The AI5 chip is designed to power Tesla's Full Self-Driving system, Optimus humanoid robots, and AI data centers. While engineering samples are expected in late 2026, high-volume production for vehicles is projected for mid-to-late 2027. Some speculation suggests the chip may debut as early as next year in a refreshed Model Y, referred to as Model YL.