TMTPOST --   Tesla Inc.   may   have   to rely more on partners including Nvidia Corporation   to launch chips for self-driving technology   as its   Dojo   supercomputer   team   was said to be   shut   down.

Credit：Tesla

Tesla CEO   Elon Musk has ordered to disband   the   Dojo team and its leader   Peter Bannon   is leaving , Bloomberg   on Thursday   reported, quoting people familiar with the matter.   Around 20   Dojo   team members recently have   left to join   Density AI,   a startup   co-   founded   by   Ganesh Venkataramanan,   the   former   head of Dojo,   and   other   members are   being   reassigned to other   data   center and   compute projects within Tesla, according to the   report.

Tesla   didn ’ t comment on the report.   If it   is accurate, the decision to   shut   down   the Dojo team   is inevitably   a reversal   of   Tesla ’ s effort   to develop in-house chips   for autonomous driving.   It is also   the latest sign   of   a   strategic shift. Tesla reportedly plans   to increase   its dependence on external technology partners, including Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. ( AMD ) for compute, and Samsung Electronics Co. for chip manufacturing

The Dojo supercomputer and Tesla ’ s in-house chip called the D1 are   a custom   -built   system designed to process vast amounts of data and video from Tesla electric vehicles ( EVs )   to train machine-learning models behind   the automaker ’ s   Autopilot and Full Self-Driving programs   and Optimus humaniod   robot. The D1   chip,   used in training artificial intelligence ( AI ) much like Nvidia ’ s accelerators, is   separate from the AI5 and AI6 inference chips, which run models in cars and robots.

Tesla has redirected its focus to AI-driven self-driving technology and robotics, with Musk pursuing an integration strategy across his business empire. In March, xAI acquired the social media platform X for $33 billion to bolster its chatbot training capabilities, while Tesla integrated the Grok chatbot into its vehicles.

The Information in   April   reported that Tesla ’ s planned Dojo supercomputer site   has been beset   by issues   and Musk   became   "furious"   about the delays   when   he found a facility missing most of its roof and ground floor because of delivery issues, bad weather, and other construction issues.   Following his visit, Musk fired Amir Mirshahi, the construction project ’ s director of infrastructure.

Musk last month dismissed the possibility of a merger between Tesla and xAI, but announced plans for a shareholder vote to consider Tesla ’ s investment in the AI startup.   He   at an   earnings call   two weeks ago   indicated at a strategic pivot suggesting future iterations of the company ’ s in-house technology could converge with that of its partners.

Muck last week confirmed   Tesla has inked a   $16.5 billion   deal with Samsung   Electronics   as   a   supplier   for semiconductors. He   also   unveiled   the arrangement of Tesla ’ s   supply   chain   in a post on   X.    "Samsung ’ s giant new Texas fab will be dedicated to making Tesla ’ s next-generation AI6 chip. The strategic importance of this is hard to overstate. Samsung currently makes AI4.TSMC will make AI5, which just finished design, initially in Taiwan and then Arizona,"   he wrote.