Huawei unveils a powerful new AI chip designed to boost China’s domestic AI capabilities and counteract US export restrictions on AI hardware.
On Tuesday, China’s Huawei Technologies introduced its latest artificial intelligence (AI) chip, the Ascend 910C use to challenge Nvidia in China amid U.S. sanctions.
The company plans to begin shipping the chip as early as October, signaling its readiness to compete at the highest levels of AI technology.
The Ascend 910C, currently being tested by Chinese internet and telecom companies, is reported to be comparable to Nvidia’s H100. Huawei plans to start shipping the new chip as soon as October.
The new processor could capture the market share that Nvidia has lost due to trade restrictions.
Initial negotiations suggest that Huawei might secure orders for over 70,000 of the 910C chips, potentially valued at around $2 billion. Key Chinese firms such as ByteDance, Baidu, and China Mobile are interested in the new technology.
In response to U.S. export controls, Nvidia offers a modified version of its H200 chip, known as the H20, to Chinese customers.
This version is designed for AI workloads with lower computing power to comply with export regulations.
Due to these restrictions, Chinese firms will not have access to Nvidia’s forthcoming Blackwell AI chip. Nvidia is reportedly developing a new AI chip that aligns with export rules to address the market gap.
