Jakarta, INTI - Entrepreneur Elon Musk has announced a collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX to build a chip manufacturing facility called “Terafab” in Austin, Texas, USA.
Musk revealed the plan during an event in downtown Austin on Saturday evening local time.
He described the facility as a crucial step to meet the chip demands for artificial intelligence and robotics development within his companies.
“We are building Terafab because we don’t have the chips, and we need the chips, so we are building Terafab,” Musk said.
Large Scale Chip Production Goals
Musk explained that Terafab is designed to produce chips at large scale to support high-performance computing needs.
The target is to generate chips capable of supporting 100 to 200 gigawatts of computing power per year on Earth.
Additionally, the facility is projected to support up to one terawatt of computing power for space applications.
However, Musk has not disclosed a definitive timeline for the construction or the start of chip production.
Project Background and Challenges
Musk pointed out that current semiconductor manufacturers cannot meet his companies’ chip demand at the required speed.
This prompted Tesla and SpaceX to pursue independent chip production through the Terafab project.
It is worth noting that Musk does not have a background in semiconductor manufacturing.
Nevertheless, the project represents one of Musk’s ambitious steps to strengthen the technology ecosystem under his companies.
Conclusion
The Terafab project highlights Elon Musk’s ambition to secure large-scale chip production for AI and robotics, marking a strategic move to strengthen Tesla and SpaceX’s technological self-reliance.
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