Tesla is cutting the amount of memory in its next-generation AI5 and AI6 chips to lower costs and help scale Optimus production, although Elon Musk has already walked back part of the reduction.
In a post on X on Thursday, Musk initially announced that Tesla was cutting AI5 memory in half, from 144GB to 72GB of LPDDR5 (LP5). AI6 is also being reduced by one-third, which works out to a drop from 216GB to 144GB of LP6.
LP5 and LP6 deliver high memory bandwidth while consuming less power than conventional desktop/server memory.
However, just hours later Musk said Tesla had decided 72GB was a little too low. The company is still cutting AI5’s memory significantly, but will now settle on 96GB instead.
There was no corresponding change announced for AI6, which remains at 144GB.
Despite reducing the amount of memory, Musk believes the impact on Optimus will be minimal because memory bandwidth is more important to its performance than total capacity.
Actually, we decided to nudge AI5 up a little to 96GB, as Tesla would otherwise be the only company using the min RAM version of LP5
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 2, 2026
The decision comes as the AI industry continues to put pressure on memory supplies. Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said this week that humanoid robots could eventually require more than 200GB of memory and several terabytes (TB) of storage per unit, although his comments were about the industry generally and did not specifically reference Tesla.
The changes come as AI5 has reportedly entered trial production. Samsung has completed its version of the chip and is preparing to manufacture it using its 2nm process at its Taylor, Texas, facility, but volume production is not expected until 2027.
But don’t put off buying a Tesla hoping it will have AI5. Tesla plans to prioritize AI5 for Optimus and AI training before eventually introducing the chip into its vehicles.
Related Articles:
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- Tesla AI5 chip takes another step toward production as Samsung confirms foundry tape-out
- Tesla AI5 design revealed as Musk confirms it won’t be used in cars
- Tesla makes progress converting former Model S/X line for Optimus production
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