A chronological overview of Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer development and milestones

📅 Published: 9/2/2025
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 7:10:56 PM
📊 15 updates
⏱️ 10 min read
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Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer project traces a dynamic journey from its initial conception in 2019 to its disbandment in mid-2025, marked by ambitious milestones, technical breakthroughs, and strategic shifts.

The Dojo initiative was first publicly introduced at Tesla’s...

The Dojo initiative was first publicly introduced at Tesla’s Autonomy Day in April 2019, where Elon Musk revealed plans for a custom-built supercomputer designed specifically to train neural networks powering Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities[2]. This early announcement positioned Dojo as a crucial technological leap aimed at processing vast amounts of video data collected from Tesla’s growing fleet of sensor-equipped vehicles.

Throughout 2020 and 2021, Musk regularly highlighted Dojo’s...

Throughout 2020 and 2021, Musk regularly highlighted Dojo’s potential, describing it as a “beast” capable of handling immense video training datasets with ultra-high bandwidth and memory capacity[1][2]. By August 2021, Tesla indicated the first version of Dojo was expected to launch within a year[1]. In parallel, Tesla developed the proprietary D1 chip, unveiled at AI Day 2021, as the core hardware component optimized for AI workloads within Dojo’s architecture[4].

Production of Dojo began in July 2023, with Tesla assembling...

Production of Dojo began in July 2023, with Tesla assembling training tiles incorporating the D1 chips and starting to deploy the supercomputer for real-world AI training tasks[1][3][4]. Tesla’s investor materials projected a rapid scaling of Dojo’s compute power, aiming for a capacity equivalent to approximately 90,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs by the end of 2024, and a goal to reach 100 exaflops of compute performance around October 2024[1]. Musk also announced significant financial commitments, including plans to spend over $1 billion on Dojo through 2024 and investments in a Dojo supercomputer facility at Gigafactory Buffalo, New York[1][4].

Despite these ambitious targets, Tesla’s Dojo project faced...

Despite these ambitious targets, Tesla’s Dojo project faced challenges. While some milestones, such as powering on the system for production use and integrating it into Tesla’s AI workflows, were achieved, other goals—like ranking among the world’s top five supercomputers and achieving 100 exaflops—were never publicly confirmed as met[1][4]. In August 2025, reports emerged that Tesla had disbanded the Dojo team and shut down the project, with key personnel, including project lead Peter Bannon, departing the company[3][4]. The strategic pivot reflected Tesla’s decision to prioritize the development of next-generation AI inference chips (AI5 and AI6) designed for real-time autonomous driving and robotics applications, rather than continue investing in large training supercomputers[5].

In summary, Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer project represented a...

In summary, Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer project represented a bold experiment in building custom AI training infrastructure tailored to Tesla’s unique data and autonomy ambitions. From its high-profile debut and chip design innovations to production scaling and eventual shutdown, the Dojo timeline highlights both the technical ambition and shifting strategic priorities within Tesla’s AI development efforts over six years.

🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 4:50:50 PM
Tesla's Dojo supercomputer, launched into production in July 2023 to train its Full Self-Driving AI using data from over 4 million cars worldwide, initially promised a leap in autonomous driving capability with a compute power ramp-up to 90,000 equivalent GPUs by late 2024[3][4]. However, despite its ambitious goal to process millions of terabytes of video data efficiently and global attention for its scale—drawing 2.3 megawatts and impacting local power grids—the project was disbanded in August 2025 amid a strategic shift to focus on next-generation AI inference chips aimed at real-time autonomy, reflecting Tesla's pivot to faster deployment of self-driving features amid international market pressures and company restructuring[4][
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 5:00:57 PM
Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer, launched into production in July 2023 to train its Full Self-Driving neural networks using data from over 4 million cars, was initially seen as a game-changer with a projected compute capacity equivalent to 90,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs by late 2024[3][4]. The global AI and automotive industries watched closely, recognizing Dojo's potential to push autonomous driving forward, but in August 2025, Tesla disbanded the Dojo project to refocus on developing next-generation AI inference chips designed for real-time autonomy in vehicles and robotics, a move CEO Elon Musk stated was to consolidate resources and accelerate Tesla’s deployment of self-driving features worldwide[4][5]. This shift reflects international
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 5:10:53 PM
Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer, launched into production in July 2023 to train AI models for Full Self-Driving (FSD), initially drew significant public interest as a key step toward full autonomy, with Elon Musk calling it “a beast” capable of processing vast video data from Tesla’s fleet of 4+ million cars[1][4]. However, consumer reaction evolved with skepticism as FSD still required attentive drivers, and in August 2025, Tesla disbanded the Dojo project amid strategic shifts toward next-generation AI inference chips developed with Samsung, signaling a move away from in-house supercomputer training to focus on real-time AI operation in vehicles and robotics[4][5]. Musk’s January 2024 acknowledgment that Dojo
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 5:20:55 PM
Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer, introduced at Autonomy Day in 2019 and unveiled with its custom D1 chip in 2021, was designed to revolutionize AI training for Full Self-Driving (FSD) through an exaflop-scale system with over a million teraflops of computing power[1][4]. However, by August 2024, Tesla shifted focus from Dojo to a new supercomputer named Cortex, which by Q2 2025 had expanded to 67,000 H100 GPU equivalents, powering FSD version 13, with Musk confirming the disbandment of the Dojo team in early 2025 and a $500 million investment now earmarked for another supercomputer in Buffalo unrelated to
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 5:31:01 PM
Tesla's Dojo supercomputer development saw mixed market reactions, with the stock showing volatility around key announcements. In late 2024, after Elon Musk revealed a $1 billion investment plan into Dojo and its upgrade timeline, Tesla shares experienced moderate gains, reflecting investor optimism about Dojo 2 entering volume production by late 2025 and its potential to rival Nvidia's B200 system[1]. However, in August 2025, Bloomberg reported Tesla had disbanded the Dojo project, triggering a decline in Tesla’s stock as the company shifted focus to next-gen AI inference chips with Samsung, signaling a strategic pivot amid broader restructuring and softer EV demand[4][5].
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 5:40:57 PM
Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer, launched into production in July 2023 to enhance Full Self-Driving (FSD) neural network training, drew global attention for its ambitious scale and unique architecture processing millions of terabytes of real-world video data from over 4 million Tesla vehicles[4]. However, international response has been mixed; while initially hailed as a game-changer comparable to Nvidia’s top systems, Tesla disbanded the Dojo project by August 2025 amid a strategic pivot to next-gen AI inference chips developed with Samsung in a $16.5 billion deal, reflecting a shift in global AI priorities and Tesla’s refocused efforts on real-time autonomous driving capabilities[1][4][5]. Elon Musk acknowledged this transition as necessary
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 5:50:56 PM
Tesla's Dojo supercomputer entered production in July 2023, initially seen as a vital asset for training Full Self-Driving AI, but by August 2025, Tesla disbanded the Dojo team to focus on next-generation AI inference chips, leading to a strategic shift in AI development priorities[1][2][5]. Following this pivot, Tesla's stock experienced volatility; after the original Dojo production announcement, shares rose on optimism about autonomous driving advancements, but news of Dojo’s disbandment amid broader restructuring prompted a temporary stock dip, reflecting investor concerns over slowing innovation and margin pressures[2]. CEO Elon Musk acknowledged on X that splitting resources between Dojo and inference chip development “doesn’t make sense,” emphasizing a
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 6:01:04 PM
Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer faced no prominent direct regulatory or government intervention during its development, but it did encounter infrastructure challenges such as causing a local San Jose power substation trip due to its 2.3 MW power draw during testing in 2022[3]. Despite the project’s ambitious scale, culminating in production use in July 2023 and a $16.5 billion chip deal with Samsung in 2025[2][3], Tesla disbanded the Dojo team in August 2025 to focus on next-generation AI inference chips, a strategic shift Elon Musk justified by resource consolidation rather than regulatory pressure[4]. No concrete government restrictions or approvals were publicly cited in the timeline of Dojo’s milestones.
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 6:10:56 PM
Tesla's Dojo supercomputer went into production in July 2023, designed to process millions of terabytes of video data from Tesla's global fleet to enhance its Full Self-Driving capabilities[1]. Despite initial high ambitions, Tesla disbanded the Dojo project by August 2025, shifting focus to next-generation AI inference chips developed in partnership with Samsung, reflecting a strategic pivot amid global competition and cost pressures in the EV market[1][2][5]. Internationally, this move signals Tesla's intent to accelerate deployment of autonomous driving features via more efficient chip designs, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape for AI-powered vehicles worldwide[2].
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 6:20:54 PM
Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer, launched into production in July 2023, aimed to revolutionize AI training for autonomous driving by processing millions of terabytes of real-world video data from Tesla’s fleet of over 4 million cars worldwide[2]. Its unprecedented scale and custom architecture drew international attention for potentially accelerating the global adoption of full self-driving technology. However, by August 2025, Tesla disbanded the Dojo project to focus on next-generation AI inference chips developed in partnership with Samsung for real-time vehicle autonomy, marking a strategic pivot that has sparked industry-wide discussions on the future of AI-driven transportation[3].
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 6:30:56 PM
Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer faced no direct regulatory or government interventions during its development; however, its significant power draw of 2.3 megawatts once tripped a local power substation in San Jose, California, highlighting infrastructure challenges tied to its deployment[1]. There have been no publicized government responses specifically targeting Dojo, even as Tesla shifted focus in 2025 from Dojo training hardware to next-generation AI inference chips under a $16.5 billion deal with Samsung, prioritizing real-time AI over large-scale training[2].
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 6:40:56 PM
Tesla's Dojo supercomputer entered production in July 2023, initially sparking optimism about advancing Tesla’s Full Self-Driving AI capabilities. However, market reactions shifted notably after August 2025 when Bloomberg reported the Dojo project was disbanded amid Tesla’s strategic pivot towards next-generation AI inference chips developed in partnership with Samsung, a move Elon Musk confirmed on X citing resource consolidation[1][2]. Following this announcement and the broader company restructuring, Tesla’s stock experienced volatility reflecting investor concerns over the Dojo project's discontinuation but also anticipation of accelerated FSD deployment through new AI chips; specific stock price figures around these milestones are not detailed in the search results[2].
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 6:50:58 PM
Tesla has officially ended its Dojo supercomputer program as of August 2025, disbanding the Dojo team and shifting focus toward developing next-generation AI inference chips in partnership with Samsung, aiming for AI5 chips by 2026 and AI6 beyond that[1][2][3]. Dojo, which utilized Tesla-designed D1 chips with 50 billion transistors and was projected to exceed one exaflop of computing power, was initially intended to train Tesla’s Full Self-Driving neural networks but was ultimately labeled an “evolutionary dead end” by Elon Musk[1][2][4]. Despite this, Tesla plans to invest $500 million in a new supercomputer facility in Buffalo that will not carry the Doj
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 7:01:02 PM
Tesla's Dojo supercomputer development faced an unexpected regulatory impact when, during a power test in San Jose, California, the project drew 2.3 megawatts, causing a local power substation to trip, revealing infrastructure challenges tied to Dojo's massive energy demand[3]. Despite Dojo going into production in July 2023 and ambitious plans for Dojo 2 by 2026, no specific regulatory restrictions or government interventions beyond this power incident have been publicly detailed. Ultimately, Tesla disbanded the Dojo project in August 2025, shifting focus to next-generation AI chips produced in partnership with Samsung, signaling a strategic pivot without reported direct government opposition to the supercomputer itself[3][4][5].
🔄 Updated: 9/2/2025, 7:10:56 PM
Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer, initiated in 2019 and put into production in July 2023, was intended to revolutionize training of Full Self-Driving (FSD) AI using vast video data from Tesla’s fleet, drawing 2.3 megawatts during trials[2]. However, expert analysis now views Dojo as an “evolutionary dead end,” with Tesla disbanding the Dojo team in mid-2025 to prioritize next-generation AI inference chips for real-time autonomy, signaling a strategic pivot away from large-scale training supercomputers toward more practical AI chip deployment[3][4]. Industry opinions suggest this shift enables Tesla to accelerate FSD updates and robotics ambitions while managing costs amid competitive pressures and market challenges
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