Editorial illustration for Rivian Develops Custom AI Chips for Safer, More Efficient Electric Vehicle Driving
Rivian's Custom AI Chips Boost EV Autonomous Driving
Rivian builds AI chips for driving with efficiency/performance, ASIL compliance
Electric vehicle makers are racing to build smarter, safer autonomous driving systems - and Rivian just upped the ante. The company has developed custom AI chips designed to dramatically improve how electric vehicles process complex driving scenarios, potentially setting a new standard for automotive computing power.
By designing purpose-built neural processing hardware, Rivian aims to solve critical challenges in autonomous vehicle technology. The custom chips represent a significant leap beyond off-the-shelf computing solutions, targeting both performance and safety in ways traditional automotive electronics cannot.
Automotive-grade computing requires extraordinary precision. Rivian's new chips are engineered to handle split-second decisions with unusual computational speed, addressing the most demanding safety requirements in modern electric vehicle design.
The company's approach goes beyond raw processing power. By creating a specialized neural engine architecture, Rivian is positioning itself as a serious contender in the high-stakes world of autonomous driving technology.
Rivian says the chip's architecture will deliver "advanced levels of efficiency, performance, and Automotive Safety Integrity Level compliance," referencing a risk classification system for safety-critical automotive electronics. Rivian estimates its neural engine can perform 800 trillion operations a second (TOPS) while its third generation computer can do 1,600 trillion 8-bit integer operations per second (INT8 TOPS) while utilizing data sparsity. For comparison, Nvidia's H100 class GPUs are quoted at 3,000-3,900 INT8 TOPS on datasheets with sparsity, while Google's TPU v5e per-chip INT8 number is estimated 393 INT8 TOPS.
(Google recently announced its seventh-generation TPUs capable of over 40 exaflops in clustered pods.) Rivian estimates its AI chip can perform 1,600 trillion 8-bit integer operations per second (INT8 TOPS) while utilizing data sparsity. It has a processing power of 5 billion pixels per second. And it features RivLink, a low latency interconnect technology that allows chips to be connected to multiply processing power.
The processor is also enabled by an in-house developed AI compiler and platform software. Most notably, the announcement of the proprietary silicon aligns Rivian with Tesla, the other major automaker that has been trying to brute-force its way to self-driving cars by making its own chips, while the rest of the auto industry increasingly lines up behind Nvidia. Rivian is an EV-only manufacturer, just like Tesla, and has said that vertical integration is a key element to its future growth.
Rivian will use a variety of sensors to power its autonomous driving, including lidar.
Rivian's custom AI chips represent a bold step into automotive computing's complex frontier. The company's neural engine, capable of 800 trillion operations per second, signals serious engineering ambition in electric vehicle technology.
Safety appears central to Rivian's design strategy. By targeting Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) compliance, the chipset suggests a methodical approach to integrating advanced computational capabilities with rigorous automotive standards.
The third-generation computer's ability to handle 1,600 trillion 8-bit integer operations while using data sparsity hints at sophisticated performance optimization. This isn't just raw computational power, but intelligently managed processing.
What's intriguing is Rivian's apparent focus on efficiency alongside performance. The chip architecture promises to balance computational demands with energy conservation - a critical consideration for electric vehicles.
Still, questions remain about real-world buildation. How these impressive technical specifications translate to actual driving experiences will ultimately determine the chips' success. Rivian has laid promising groundwork, but the proof will be in the performance.
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Common Questions Answered
How many operations per second can Rivian's neural engine perform?
Rivian's neural engine is capable of performing 800 trillion operations per second (TOPS). This impressive computational power is designed to enhance the processing of complex driving scenarios in electric vehicles.
What is Rivian's approach to automotive safety with their custom AI chips?
Rivian is targeting Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) compliance with their custom AI chips, demonstrating a methodical approach to integrating advanced computational capabilities with rigorous automotive safety standards. The chip's architecture is specifically designed to deliver advanced levels of efficiency, performance, and safety.
How do Rivian's custom AI chips compare to existing automotive computing technologies?
Rivian's third-generation computer can perform 1,600 trillion 8-bit integer operations per second (INT8 TOPS) while utilizing data sparsity. This represents a significant advancement in automotive computing power, potentially setting a new standard for how electric vehicles process complex driving scenarios.