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Tesla’s use of AI Day for recruitment piqued interest from engineers, Musk says
Tesla’s use of specific events for recruiting purposes was welcomed in by the company’s recently held AI Day, which took place in mid-September. Looking to expand its team of software engineers and AI experts, Tesla showed the most intimate details regarding its AI platform, impressive examples of its Full Self-Driving suite, and even unveiled the Tesla Bot. The idea worked, CEO Elon Musk revealed during the 2021 Annual Shareholder’s Meeting, which was held last night.
AI Day was perhaps Tesla’s most in-depth look into its semi-autonomous driving programs, its plan for a next-level Supercomputer and chip, and a surprising look at the company’s plans to begin building robot prototypes. Ultimately, for anyone who was in attendance or listening to the event, it was obvious it wasn’t geared toward informing the normal Tesla fan or enthusiast about its FSD progress. The language and technical nature of the event pointed toward one thing: Tesla needed new, young, and bright talent for their development of AI, and this was the perfect outlet for it.
Still, it is only a good idea if it works. But let’s be real, in 2021, what hotshot out of college would not want to work at Tesla? With all of the great technology that the company has released in the past few years, combined with the undoubted position of authority that Tesla holds in the EV space, most college students or engineering prodigies would most likely be willing to submit an application to Tesla, and Elon Musk stated that the event was overwhelmingly successful in bringing Tesla the talent that it sought after.
“And then AI Day, I think it was important to change the fundamental perception of Tesla because people do…they sort of think of Tesla as a car company, and yes, we made cars, but the AI part of Tesla was not well understood,” Musk said at the Shareholder meeting. “Tesla is as much a software company as it is a hardware company. And we also do the chips. So we designed the full self-driving inference computer. We’re designing a training computer that’s going to be able to, we think, be the most efficient neural net training computer in the world by far.”
It is a common misperception among most people to think that Tesla is exclusively an automotive manufacturer. However, the company deals with much more outside the realm of vehicles. Along with sustainable energy storage and production through its Tesla Energy side, it also develops software, chips, and other crucial parts of a car’s “brain,” if you can see it in that light. This is all a result of the hard work and dedication Tesla’s engineers have put forth. Musk indicates that more highly qualified candidates are on the way.
“We’re seeing a tremendous response, so daily applicants by role…And then after AI Day, that’s the AI applicants increased dramatically. So I thought that was a very successful day. Team did a great job. And yes, it’s going to be a very important part of the future. Self-driving is obviously one of the functions,” Musk added.
Please consider joining Tesla AI software or hardware teams! pic.twitter.com/HgigdtenKN
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 8, 2021
Tesla has landed on Universum’s list of most attractive employers for engineering students on several occasions. Released in November 2020, the most recent list had Tesla and SpaceX ranked first and second, respectively, in the rankings.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with tips! Email us at tips@teslarati.com, or you can email me directly at joey@teslarati.com.9
Elon Musk
Tesla AI5 chip nears completion, Elon Musk teases 9-month development cadence
The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.
Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chip is nearly complete, and work on its successor is already underway, as per a recent update from Elon Musk.
The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.
Musk details AI chip roadmap
In his post, Elon Musk stated that Tesla’s AI5 chip design is “almost done,” while AI6 has already entered early development. Musk added that Tesla plans to continue iterating rapidly, with AI7, AI8, AI9, and future generations targeting a nine-month design cycle.
He also noted that Tesla’s in-house chips could become the highest-volume AI processors in the world. Musk framed his update as a recruiting message, encouraging engineers to join Tesla’s AI and chip development teams.
Tesla community member Herbert Ong highlighted the strategic importance of the timeline, noting that faster chip cycles enable quicker learning, faster iteration, and a compounding advantage in AI and autonomy that becomes increasingly difficult for competitors to close.
AI5 manufacturing takes shape
Musk’s comments align with earlier reporting on AI5’s production plans. In December, it was reported that Samsung is preparing to manufacture Tesla’s AI5 chip, accelerating hiring for experienced engineers to support U.S. production and address complex foundry challenges.
Samsung is one of two suppliers selected for AI5, alongside TSMC. The companies are expected to produce different versions of the AI5 chip, with TSMC reportedly using a 3nm process and Samsung using a 2nm process.
Musk has previously stated that while different foundries translate chip designs into physical silicon in different ways, the goal is for both versions of the Tesla AI5 chip to operate identically. AI5 will succeed Tesla’s current AI4 hardware, formerly known as Hardware 4, and is expected to support the company’s Full Self-Driving system as well as other AI-driven efforts, including Optimus.
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Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.
The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring.

This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.
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Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.
Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.
Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.
Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error.
More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report.
Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.
Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.
Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.
“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted.