Tesla Pivots AI Strategy with Dojo Shutdown, Forecasts Optimus to Drive 80% of Future Value

Elon Musk continues to redefine Tesla's identity, emphasizing its role as a leading artificial intelligence company rather than solely an automaker. This strategic shift, highlighted by a recent tweet from TechCrunch stating, "Elon Musk doesn’t want Tesla to be just an automaker. He wants Tesla to be an AI company, one that’s figured out how to make cars drive themselves," underscores the company's evolving focus. Tesla's long-term vision centers on advanced AI capabilities, particularly in autonomous driving and robotics.

A significant development in this strategy is Tesla's decision to shut down its custom-built Dojo supercomputer project in August 2025, after six years of development. Initially intended as the cornerstone for training its Full Self-Driving (FSD) neural networks, Musk declared Dojo an "evolutionary dead end." This move, which also saw the departure of key personnel, signals a pivot from self-reliant hardware development to a more streamlined approach.

Following the Dojo shutdown, Tesla is now focusing on its next-generation AI6 chips and promoting Cortex, a "giant new AI training supercluster" being built at its Austin headquarters. The company recently signed a $16.5 billion deal with Samsung for AI6 chips, indicating a shift towards external partnerships for advanced chip development. This new direction aims to enhance the company's AI training capabilities more efficiently.

A core component of Tesla's future AI ambitions is the Optimus humanoid robot. Elon Musk has boldly predicted that Optimus will eventually account for approximately 80% of Tesla's future valuation. This highlights a significant redefinition of the company's core business, moving beyond electric vehicles into the burgeoning field of robotics and AI-driven automation.

Tesla's broader AI strategy also includes integration with Elon Musk's other ventures, such as the xAI company and its Grok chatbot, which is now available in Tesla vehicles. While this aggressive pursuit of AI leadership positions Tesla at the forefront of technological innovation, it also comes amid mixed reactions from analysts and stakeholders, particularly concerning falling EV sales and the ambitious timelines for its AI projects.