Tesla AI6 Chip Production Marks Samsung's Largest Foundry Win with $16.5B Strategic Partnership

August 07, 2025

Key Takeaways:

• Supply chain rebalancing: $16.5B Samsung deal reduces Tesla's TSMC reliance for next-generation chips while securing U.S.-based production

• Architectural paradigm shift: AI6 enables vehicle-embedded Dojo capabilities, potentially eliminating training/inference hardware separation

• Timeline convergence: 2028-2030 mass production aligns with Robotaxi commercialization and Cybercab platform requirements

 

ISAIAH Viewpoints:

Tesla's AI6 chip represents a pivotal inflection point in the autonomous driving ecosystem, moving beyond incremental improvements to architectural transformation. The $16.5 billion Samsung Foundry agreement signals Tesla's strategic pivot from TSMC dependence to supply chain diversification, with Samsung's Taylor, Texas facility securing exclusive AI6 production on 2nm node technology. The 2028-2030 production timeline reflects Tesla's methodical approach to FSD evolution—allowing sufficient lead time for process maturation while aligning with Robotaxi deployment schedules. Most critically, AI6's planned integration of Dojo supercomputer elements directly into vehicles suggests Tesla envisions real-time model training at the edge, fundamentally repositioning cars from inference-only platforms to distributed learning nodes.

 

FSD Generation

Foundry & Node

Key Features

Production Status

AI3

Samsung Foundry, 14nm

Basic FSD functionality

Deployed

AI4

Samsung Foundry, 5nm

Higher power/cooling requirements

Production

AI5

TSMC, N3AE (Taiwan & Arizona)

2-3x AI4 power consumption

Cybercab deployment

AI6

Samsung Foundry, 2nm (Taylor, TX)

Dojo integration, training-inference convergence

2028-2030 mass production

 

Reference:

According to ISAIAH RESEARCH ("WEEKLY_REPORT" in "August 2025"): Tesla Diversifies Chip Supply with $16.5B Samsung Partnership, Securing AI6 Production at Taylor Texas Facility

The information we shared is only a short excerpt of our monthly report. If you have further interest in our research and findings, we would be happy to provide you with a more detailed and comprehensive report that includes additional insights and data points. Please contact us to access our full insights.

Authors

James Chen

James Chen, Chief Analyst at Isaiah Research, is a highly experienced professional in the semiconductor, Apple, smartphone-related electronic components, and IC design industries. He earned his MBA from the University of Southern California in the United States. In his current role, James leads the research team in producing high-quality reports and engages with enterprise clients. He also oversees the establishment of the internal database system and conducts data analysis to provide clients with valuable insights based on the data. Prior to his current role as Chief Analyst at Isaiah Research, James held engineering positions at TSMC and UMC. Following his engineering roles, James transitioned to work at Nan Shan Life and Fuh Hwa Securities Investment Trust. With his combined expertise in engineering and research, he is well-positioned to provide clients with comprehensive and accurate analysis, and to develop investment strategies for long-term competitiveness.

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