Huawei set to unveil rapid AI supercomputing systems by the year 2027
In a significant move, Chinese tech giant Huawei has announced its plans to launch the Atlas 950 and Atlas 960 "SuperPoDs" for high-speed chip connections. The announcement, made by Huawei's Deputy Chairman, Eric Xu, on Thursday, comes amidst an intensifying tech rivalry between China and the United States.
Huawei's plans to release the Atlas 950 SuperPoDs in the fourth quarter of 2026, and the Atlas 960 in the fourth quarter of 2027, are part of Beijing's strategy to bolster domestic AI prowess and reduce reliance on Western firms like Nvidia. The Atlas 950 SuperPoD will feature up to 8,192 Ascend 950DT chips, delivering extremely high computing power and interconnect bandwidth. The Atlas 960, on the other hand, is expected to surpass industry standards with its expected performance in multiple key metrics, including the number of NPUs (neural processing units), total computing power, memory capacity, and interconnect bandwidth.
The launch of these products is a response to the Cyberspace Administration of China's instructions to companies to end all testing and purchase plans for Nvidia's RTX Pro 6000D chips. These state-of-the-art processors, made especially for the Chinese market, are among the offerings from California-based Nvidia, one of the tech giants caught up in this rivalry, facing various restrictions on their overseas operations.
Observers believe that Beijing's moves to wean Chinese tech companies off Nvidia's offerings are part of its effort to accelerate domestic production from companies like Huawei. This is not the first time such moves have been observed; Beijing regulators have recently summoned Huawei and Cambricon - another domestic chipmaker - for discussions on how their products compare to Nvidia's chips for the Chinese market.
Nvidia's chief executive Jensen Huang expressed disappointment over the report about the Chinese regulator's instructions. An earlier report by Jiemian, a state-controlled Chinese business news outlet, incorrectly stated that the Atlas 950 would launch this year. However, the FT report did not mention any incorrect statements about the launch date of the Atlas 950, unlike the earlier report by Jiemian.
The launch is part of Huawei's efforts to meet long-term computing demand, as the technological competition between China and the United States continues to intensify, with each seeking supremacy in AI and advanced computer chips. The competition is fueled by geopolitical tensions, with both nations facing various restrictions on their overseas operations.
As the race for AI and advanced computer chips continues, it remains to be seen how this latest move by Huawei will impact the tech landscape, particularly in the Chinese market.
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