AI4 chip

Purpose

Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) system in Tesla vehicles

CPU Cores

20 Arm Cortex-A72 cores (5 quad-core clusters)

Developer

Tesla

NPU Cores

3

CPU Frequency

2.2 GHz

NPU Frequency

2.2 GHz

Alternative Names

Hardware 4, HW4

NPU MACs per core

9,216 (96x96 grid)

Current Manufacturer

Samsung

Manufacturing Process

7nm-class (7LPP?)

Key Improvements over AI3

New cameras, new electrical and wiring harnesses, improved processing power

Successor Performance Claim

AI5 chip offers 40-fold improvement over AI4

NPU Operations per clock cycle

18,432

2023-01-01

2023-02-01

Hardware 4.0 (AI4) is Tesla’s latest suite of Autopilot/self-driving sensors and a new FSD computer. The new hardware, includes the following: [...] Tesla has always been at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge automotive technology into its electric vehicles, and its latest AI hardware – Hardware 4 (aka AI4 or HW4) – is no exception. As an advanced suite of Autopilot/self-driving sensors coupled with a new Full Self-Driving (FSD) computer, AI4 pushes the envelope further on autonomous driving, leapfrogging other manufacturers like Ford that produce cars with autopilot-like features. ## History: Hardware 3 (AI3) – FSD Computer [...] In summary, with the introduction of Hardware 4, Tesla continues to push the boundaries of self-driving technology. The new hardware suite, despite minor concerns about its processing power, represents a significant step forward for Tesla’s autonomous vehicle capabilities. As Hardware 4 becomes a larger part of the vehicle fleet, it will be fascinating to see how this new technology influences the future of Tesla’s FSD Beta program and the broader self-driving vehicle industry.

While we haven’t even seen AI5, Tesla is already thinking about its next set of chips that will power Tesla’s future FSD computers. In a set of posts on X, Elon Musk outlined the future of Tesla’s AI hardware, stating that its “strategic importance is hard to overstate.” He also revealed that Samsung, the current manufacturer of Tesla’s AI4 chip, will produce the next-generation AI6 chip at a new, dedicated fabrication facility in Texas. [...] > 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. > > — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 28, 2025 ## The Current Two-Language Problem #### Elon Musk Biography by Walter Isaacson #### Elon Musk Biography by Walter Isaacson [...] While AI4 is already used in Tesla’s Robotaxis, which are practically driving autonomously, it’s hard to imagine where the company will be with a computer that’s many more times as powerful. Things like the recent video of a Tesla stopping at a toll booth, waiting for the driver to pay, and then taking off will become commonplace, not only at booths but also in various nuanced scenarios, such as someone waving you by, or stopping for a friendly neighbor that waves you down.

Samsung used to produce Tesla's HW3 (AI3) processor using its 14nm-class fabrication process and is currently producing the company's HW4 (AI4) SoC using its 7nm-class (7LPP?) manufacturing technology. TSMC will be in charge of production Tesla's AI5 (HW5) processor, though it is unclear whether the world's No. 1 foundry will use its N3A process technology (expected to be qualified and ready by late 2025 and ready for production in Taiwan, so a likely scenario for Tesla), or more conservative [...] "Samsung's giant new Texas fab will be dedicated to making Tesla's next-generation AI6 chip," Elon Musk wrote in an X post. "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." Latest Videos From Tom's Hardware [...] important contract.

Today though, AI4 is the next step as Tesla strides towards full autonomy. While Tesla hasn’t abandoned HW3 or declared it as legacy yet – and doesn’t seem to plan to, it’s still important to be able to figure out what hardware your vehicle has. This is especially true for those who have paid for, or are subscribed to FSD – as it seems that going forward, AI4 will receive major FSD updates before hardware 3, which will require optimization. [...] # How to Check If Your Tesla Has Hardware 3 (HW3) or Hardware 4 (AI4) By Karan Singh Not a Tesla App In early 2023, Tesla launched its FSD Hardware 4.0 – now known as AI4 – an improved version of Hardware 3 with various advantages. This hardware launch initially came off to a rocky start with FSD and Autopilot not being available to freshly delivered vehicles. [...] AI4 brought along several improvements, including new cameras, new electrical and wiring harnesses, and most of all – improved processing power.