‘It doesn’t seem like a solution’

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s announcement at X that the AI5 chip was “almost done” was met with weary skepticism after years of delayed timelines and unfulfilled promises.

what’s going on

On January 17, Musk said AI5 was nearing completion and suggested another, more powerful chip – AI6 – could be ready in just nine months.

“Aiming for a 9 month design cycle,” Musk wrote. “Join us to work on what I predict will be the world’s highest volume of AI chips ever!”

Musk first revealed AI5 at a shareholder meeting in June 2024, claiming that the next-gen self-driving chip will be in all Tesla electric vehicles, as well as the humanoid robot Optimus, in about 18 months. He said this hardware will be 10 times more capable than 4.

While Tesla isn’t far beyond that 18-month window, Electrek’s Fred Lambert warned consumers to take Musk’s announcement with a “large grain of salt.”

“Today’s news that the ‘design is almost finished’ contrasts with his claim that the design was ‘finished’ back in July 2025,” Lambert pointed out. Musk claimed Tesla had “just completed the design” on the AI5 at its annual shareholders meeting in 2024.

Why is this important?

The rise of self-driving EVs was undoubtedly a milestone for tech enthusiasts and forward-thinking dreamers, but autonomous EVs hold significance for everyday consumers as well. They can revolutionize transportation, making it cleaner, safer and more affordable.

Already, Waymo — owned by Alphabet to rival Tesla in autonomous technology, at least in Musk’s estimation — has logged hundreds of millions of rider-only miles in four major U.S. cities. According to its safety data, Waymo’s self-driving EVs have caused 90% fewer crashes with serious injuries or worse than the average human driver.

However, in 2025, Tesla struggled to inspire confidence as sales lagged. Of course, Musk’s foray into politics has tarnished the brand’s reputation in the eyes of many. A series of high-profile robottaxi crashes has also raised concerns about the viability of Tesla’s self-driving technology, possibly damaging confidence in fully autonomous EV technology.

“If Tesla can’t run its software unsupervised in the millions of HW3 and HW4 cars on the road today, does it really matter if AI5 is ‘almost done’?” Lambert wrote. “… In short, this doesn’t seem to be the solution to Tesla’s unsafe self-driving problem.”

What is happening about this?

A competitive EV market is another factor that has dampened enthusiasm for Tesla, but it’s good news if you want to make your next car an EV. If you want to get your hands on a zero-tailpipe-emissions vehicle with low lifetime operating costs, you have several options.

Meanwhile, Lambert believes Musk is unlikely to deliver on his promises about the development of AI5, AI6, and more — at least not on the timetable he’s laid out.

“Even consumer electronics giants like Apple operate on annual cycles that are years in the making,” he wrote. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s exciting to see Tesla pushing the envelope on custom silicon. However … AI5 sounds like classic Musk over-optimism.”

Others had a more pessimistic view of Tesla.

“They don’t know how to develop things over generations. They only know how to operate as a start-up … then try to run faster than results,” said one commentator.

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