Jim Keller moves to Tesla as Vice President of Autopilot Hardware Engineering

[VanayadGaming]

 

Electrek has learned that Tesla this month quietly hired high-profile microprocessor engineer Jim Keller as Vice President of Autopilot Hardware Engineering. Tesla today confirmed the news and sent us the following statement:

Jim Keller is joining Tesla as Vice President of Autopilot Hardware Engineering. Jim will bring together the best internal and external hardware technologies to develop the safest, most advanced autopilot systems in the world.

 

 

 

The role as Tesla describes it isn’t necessarily to focus on in-house microprocessors, although the company needs plenty of processing power for its  ‘Autopilot’ program. But Keller’s hardware engineering experience, especially his low-power design expertise as mentioned by Papermaster , undoubtedly represent valuable transferable skills useful for many of Tesla’s programs.

So much for those rumours about him going to Samsung/Intel or whatever. Hey, maybe they will use some AMD APUs now

The real questions is if they will bring the manufacturing of chips in-house or not. If so, MobilEye will lose a pretty big client. 

Edit: Forgot source -.- http://electrek.co/2016/01/28/tesla-jim-keller-apple-processor-architect-2/

[Bensemus]

lol this guy is an internet celebrity.

[MrDynamicMan]

Who'da thunk it. It'll be interesting to see what comes of it.

[Daegun]

@patrickjp93

 

...Intel, huh?

[kokobash13]

Wow. Didnt expect this to happen.

[Notional]

I guess nvidia is scrapped then. Even tesla won't pay their overprice.

Sounds very interesting.

[BobbyG2]

Jim going to get AMD hardware into automated cars just after nVidia announced their technologies? Lol

[TechGod]

@patrickjp93

"He's gone to Intel, AMD IS DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!!!!!!"

[Trixanity]

Jim Keller has nothing to do with AMD, so this is solely Tesla's effort to be self-reliant in regards to autopilot.

Jim Keller seems to be basically a mercenary for hire, so he will do whatever interests him and pays well I suppose. Turns out Tesla gave him the best opportunity.

What I would agree with is that Nvidia is definitely getting slighted. However, Tesla is not the only company working on this technology so it's not like Nvidia just lost all business.

[Master Disaster]

Jim Keller has nothing to do with AMD, so this is solely Tesla's effort to be self-reliant in regards to autopilot.

Jim Keller seems to be basically a mercenary for hire, so he will do whatever interests him and pays well I suppose. Turns out Tesla gave him the best opportunity.

What I would agree with is that Nvidia is definitely getting slighted. However, Tesla is not the only company working on this technology so it's not like Nvidia just lost all business.

Other than being the lead designer on Zen you mean?

[Anult]

All the best to Mr.Keller at Tesla. 

 

I hope that his recent time at AMD will not be in vain and I am hopeful for what's coming around the corner on the AMD CPU front.

 

I have also learned that this forum's accuracy in regards to where certain employees go after they leave a company is on the level of your typical star wars stormtrooper.

 

 

[MageTank]

@patrickjp93

 

...Intel, huh?

 

 

@patrickjp93

"He's gone to Intel, AMD IS DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!!!!!!"

To be fair, he said we would hear about it "Monday or Tuesday". He never specified which Monday or Tuesday. For all we know, he could still be right in a decade or two. 

[Trixanity]

Other than being the lead designer on Zen you mean?

He is not with AMD and hasn't been for months. So yes, he has nothing to do with it. Jim Keller works for Tesla. Him working for Tesla does not mean AMD has gotten a contract with Tesla.

Jim Keller has worked for AMD prior to Zen and when he went to Apple it wasn't related to AMD either.

[azurezeed]

Interesting, looking forward to seeing what Jim Keller comes up with

[TechGod]

To be fair, he said we would hear about it "Monday or Tuesday". He never specified which Monday or Tuesday. For all we know, he could still be right in a decade or two.

[SurvivorNVL]

nVidia super computers and Jim Keller.  Tesla has some interesting things lining up.  Now they just need to be bought by Apple, promote Elon Musk to CEO of Apple, and then all will be good in the world.

[dalekphalm]

nVidia super computers and Jim Keller.  Tesla has some interesting things lining up.  Now they just need to be bought by Apple, promote Elon Musk to CEO of Apple, and then all will be good in the world.

Elon Musk as CEO of Apple... that's a scary thought - imagine the potential powerhouse that could be created? Apple is already huge, but they largely just sit on that $100-some-odd Billion USD... Imagine what could be done with Musk at the helm, willing and ready to invest $100 Bn USD into advanced R&D projects? (Or quietly help fund Telsa/SpaceX lol)

[SurvivorNVL]

Elon Musk as CEO of Apple... that's a scary thought - imagine the potential powerhouse that could be created? Apple is already huge, but they largely just sit on that $100-some-odd Billion USD... Imagine what could be done with Musk at the helm, willing and ready to invest $100 Bn USD into advanced R&D projects? (Or quietly help fund Telsa/SpaceX lol)

My dream idea is that Apple buys Tesla, makes Musk CEO, and then they purchase AMD.  Just imagine that.  I'm sure with Musk at the helm, we'd be seeing some insane things coming to fruition, but above all the sustainability of that mixture would be godly.  I think it'd be enough of a mixture to make most of the industry a little shakey.  Especially given now they could have in-house designed supercomputers from their acquisition of AMD, all those patents, and a rather fast negotitation with Intel for X86 in return for AMD_64.  Apple quality assurance, and support as well as R&D, Tesla R&D and Engineering teams, and then all of AMD tagging along with Musk at the helm.  It'd be a dream.  Sadly it is :c

[dalekphalm]

My dream idea is that Apple buys Tesla, makes Musk CEO, and then they purchase AMD.  Just imagine that.  I'm sure with Musk at the helm, we'd be seeing some insane things coming to fruition, but above all the sustainability of that mixture would be godly.  I think it'd be enough of a mixture to make most of the industry a little shakey.  Especially given now they could have in-house designed supercomputers from their acquisition of AMD, all those patents, and a rather fast negotitation with Intel for X86 in return for AMD_64.  Apple quality assurance, and support as well as R&D, Tesla R&D and Engineering teams, and then all of AMD tagging along with Musk at the helm.  It'd be a dream.  Sadly it is :c

I could certainly see Apple buying Tesla - but making Musk the overall CEO is the part where our dreams become insubstantial - unfortunately.

 

But hey, you never know. 30 years ago, no one would have ever suspected that Apple would ditch PowerPC for Intel. That would have been a ludicrous notion.

[SurvivorNVL]

I could certainly see Apple buying Tesla - but making Musk the overall CEO is the part where our dreams become insubstantial - unfortunately.

 

But hey, you never know. 30 years ago, no one would have ever suspected that Apple would ditch PowerPC for Intel. That would have been a ludicrous notion.

There've been some investment groups talking about the possibility that if Apple were to buy Tesla to move themselves in to the car game, they'd negotiate to get Tim out, and Elon in, as a way to further the deal.  So I don't think it is too outrageous, but the part where AMD enters the picture does, sadly.  It'd be an incredible move, honestly if that were to happen.  AMD incorporated in to the Cars, all Apple products with upcoming Zen and Arctic Islands, SOC's for Apple phones, and all the money they could take advantage of.  Imagine an iMac with Freesync.  Not to mention how scary that patent portfolio would be..

[Trixanity]

Yup, can't see AMD being a part of any Tesla, AMD and Apple triangle.

Apple buying Tesla? Not unlikely. Tim Cook ousted for Elon Musk? Not necessarily unlikely either. The problem? I can't see Elon Musk heading Apple's bread and butter business of iPhones and iPads.

By that I mean I doubt he has the same passion and interest for iPhones that he does for the more esoteric and radical businesses such as space travel and electric cars.

So it would seem weird to me and if Elon Musk had his way, I could imagine a radical shift in Apple's operation.

There's so many variables in such a scenario. And I'm obviously no expert.

In any case: interesting ideas but I don't think it'll happen. Too many ifs and I think Elon Musk would want too much free reign for a company like Apple regardless of what position he'd get.

[HalGameGuru]

Elon Musk as CEO of Apple... that's a scary thought - imagine the potential powerhouse that could be created? Apple is already huge, but they largely just sit on that $100-some-odd Billion USD... Imagine what could be done with Musk at the helm, willing and ready to invest $100 Bn USD into advanced R&D projects? (Or quietly help fund Telsa/SpaceX lol)

Apple iSpace, everyone goes to Mars, whether you like it or not.

[PlayStation 2]

I wonder since Jim Keller has tons of relations with AMD that he'd be able to hook Tesla up with some APUs.

[spartaman64]

To be fair, he said we would hear about it "Monday or Tuesday". He never specified which Monday or Tuesday. For all we know, he could still be right in a decade or two. 

plot twist he announces it on a friday