Tesla has filed a trademark for a modular AI data center hardware system called 'Megapod'. This move comes less than a year after the company discontinued its in-house AI training computer, Dojo.
Tesla has filed a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a product called 'Megapod'. According to the filing, it is a complete, self-contained computing system for AI workloads, described as modular data center hardware systems comprising servers, AI processing hardware, networking equipment, power distribution units, and cooling systems.
This filing comes less than a year after Tesla discontinued development of its in-house AI training computer, Dojo. The AI data center hardware market is currently dominated by rack-scale systems like Nvidia's GB200 NVL72, and Tesla is one of Nvidia's major customers. Furthermore, the cooling specialist Submer already sells a product literally called the 'MegaPod', raising potential trademark conflict issues.
This move signals Tesla's ambition to potentially enter the AI hardware supply market, moving beyond being just an electric vehicle company. However, it faces significant challenges, including competition from established players like Nvidia, a shaky track record in in-house AI hardware development, and questions about the originality of the product name. It suggests Tesla is exploring a strategic shift to establish a stronger foothold in the AI infrastructure market.