Tesla’s new AI4 chip can process one million pixels of video in just one millisecond. That’s an incredible speed that’s powering Tesla’s autonomous driving technology across millions of vehicles worldwide. The chip represents a major leap forward in computing power for self-driving cars.
Tesla’s AI4 chip processes one million video pixels per millisecond, revolutionizing autonomous driving across millions of vehicles worldwide.
The AI4 contains 20 CPU cores running at 2.35 GHz, up from 12 cores in the previous generation. It also has three Neural Network Processors operating at 2.2 GHz, compared to two in the older model. These processors work together to handle complex calculations needed for autonomous driving. The chip delivers up to 50 TOPS of neural network performance, which is about 39 percent better than its predecessor.
Inside the AI4 are three Neural Processing Units with a special design. Each unit contains a 96×96 grid of multiply-accumulate units, totaling 9,216 of these processing elements per core. Together, they can perform 121.651 trillion operations every second. That’s more than enough to process video feeds from eight cameras in Tesla vehicles simultaneously without slowing down. The hardware includes redundancy with dual-node boards that allow cross-checking of computations for continued safe operation after a potential node failure. However, the chip’s architecture remains optimized primarily for convolutional image networks rather than transformer-based models.
The manufacturing process uses advanced technology from TSMC at either 7 nanometers or 4 nanometers. This tiny size allows the chip to pack enormous computing power into a small space. The design is based on Samsung’s Exynos-IP framework but customized specifically for artificial intelligence workloads in cars. Tesla has partnered with Samsung for manufacturing to achieve the volumes needed for their ambitious production goals.
Tesla’s engineers created a tight connection between the hardware and software. This teamwork allows the chip to grasp driving scenes in real-time, which is essential for safety. The chip can handle multiple camera inputs at once while maintaining steady performance in different lighting and weather conditions. This capability enables Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system to operate in real-world situations. When these advanced systems require maintenance or repairs, owners often face service delays that can stretch beyond 30 days in major metropolitan areas.
The AI4 does draw more power than previous generations, using 160 watts during operation. However, the performance improvements make this increased energy use worthwhile. Tesla’s already developing the AI5 chip, which should be 40 times more powerful than the AI4. The company plans to release new AI chip generations every year, continuing the race to match or exceed human driving abilities through raw computing power.