Tesla exec leading development of chip tech and Dojo supercomputer is leaving company

Tesla's vice president of hardware design engineering, Pete Bannon, is set to leave the company after joining in 2016 from Apple. This departure, confirmed by CNBC, comes as Bannon was at the forefront of developing the Dojo supercomputer, reporting directly to CEO Elon Musk. Bloomberg was the first to break the news of his exit, highlighting that Musk has since instructed his team to halt operations related to Bannon's projects, with engineers being reassigned to other tasks within the company. Musk has been actively working to reshape Tesla's identity, aiming to position it not only as a leader in electric vehicles but also as a formidable player in artificial intelligence and robotics. Central to this vision is the Dojo supercomputer, which is designed to process vast amounts of data from Tesla vehicles to enhance AI training. This initiative is part of Musk’s broader ambition to transition existing Tesla cars into autonomous robotaxis. During Tesla's earnings call in July, Musk expressed optimism about the future of Dojo, stating that he expects the supercomputer to be fully operational at scale by next year, with plans to utilize around 100,000 H-100 equivalents, referencing technology developed by Nvidia. Recently, Tesla secured a significant deal worth $16.5 billion with Samsung to bolster its production of A16 chips domestically. Currently, Tesla is conducting a test Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, where vehicles are required to have a human safety supervisor present. In San Francisco, a similar service is run by human drivers, although users can request rides via a 'Tesla Robotaxi' app. Musk also addressed questions during the earnings call regarding the relationship between Tesla and his AI venture, xAI, particularly concerning competition for talent. He clarified that the two companies are pursuing different goals, with xAI focusing on developing large-scale artificial general intelligence models, while Tesla is committed to practical AI applications for its vehicles and robots. This year, Tesla has witnessed a notable turnover in its talent pool, with several high-ranking executives leaving the company, including Milan Kovac, former head of Optimus robotics engineering, and David Lau, vice president of software engineering.