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Huawei Set to Mass Ship New AI Chip Amidst U.S. Export Restrictions
Huawei Technologies is preparing to initiate mass shipments of its new 910C artificial intelligence chip to customers in China as early as next month, according to two individuals with knowledge of the situation. Some initial shipments have already been made, indicating a proactive approach by the tech giant.
This development comes at a pivotal time for Chinese AI companies, which are actively seeking domestic alternatives to Nvidia’s H20 chip. This chip had previously been a staple in the Chinese market until recently, when the U.S. government mandated that exports of the H20 require a license.
In a strategic move, the Biden administration has aimed to curtail China’s technological progress, particularly concerning technologies that could bolster its military capabilities. As part of these efforts, sales of Nvidia’s most advanced AI products, including the flagship B200 chip, have been restricted. The H100 chip was banned from sale in China back in 2022 before its official launch, further limiting options for Chinese enterprises.
The 910C, which functions as a graphics processing unit (GPU), is said to represent an evolution in architecture rather than a revolutionary technological advancement. It reportedly combines two 910B processors into a single unit through sophisticated integration techniques, effectively providing double the computing power and memory capacity. Additionally, it offers improvements in accommodating various AI workload data.
This shift in the marketplace is significant as it allows Huawei, alongside other Chinese GPU startups such as Moore Threads and Iluvatar CoreX, to carve out a competitive space largely dominated by Nvidia. According to Paul Triolo, a partner at the consulting firm Albright Stonebridge Group, the recent export restrictions on Nvidia’s products may position Huawei’s 910C GPU as the preferred option for Chinese AI model developers and those looking to enhance inference capabilities.
Late last year, Huawei began distributing samples of the 910C to multiple tech firms and opened up order placements, though the specific companies involved in production remain unconfirmed. China’s SMIC, one of the country’s leading semiconductor manufacturers, is responsible for producing some of the main components of the GPUs using its N+2 7nm process technology, although challenges with yield rates have been reported.
Furthermore, it is suggested that some of the semiconductors within Huawei’s 910C units originated from TSMC, specifically for the China-based company Sophgo. Reports indicate that TSMC has produced nearly three million chips that match the designs ordered by Sophgo in recent years. This development has drawn scrutiny from the U.S. Commerce Department, which is investigating possible connections between TSMC and Huawei following the discovery of a TSMC chip in one of the previous 910B processors.
Huawei has stated that it does not utilize TSMC-manufactured Sophgo chips. In contrast, TSMC has asserted its commitment to compliance with export controls and noted that it ceased supplying Huawei as of mid-September 2020.
As the landscape for AI technology develops under the constraints of international trade policies, the introduction of Huawei’s 910C chip underscores the ongoing battle for technological supremacy and innovation in the rapidly evolving AI sector.
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