Huawei unveils new computing tech as China seeks AI strength

BEIJING: Chinese tech juggernaut Huawei plans to launch powerful computing setups that allow chips to connect at high speeds, an executive said Thursday, as Beijing looks to bolster domestic AI prowess and reduce reliance on Western firms.

Geopolitical tensions between China and the United States have intensified technological competition between the countries, each seeking to achieve supremacy in the vital fields of artificial intelligence and advanced computer chips.

Shenzhen-based Huawei and California-based Nvidia are among the tech giants that have repeatedly been caught up in the rivalry, each facing various restrictions on their overseas operations.

Huawei’s Deputy Chairman Eric Xu said Thursday that the firm intends to launch the Atlas 950 and Atlas 960 “SuperPoDs”, part of efforts to meet “long-term computing demand”, according to a press release.

The products will be used to integrate thousands of Huawei chips, significantly enhancing the computing power that underpins various AI applications.

They are expected to be launched in the fourth quarters of this year and 2027, respectively, according to a report Thursday by state-controlled Chinese business news outlet Jiemian, citing Xu.

“These two SuperPoDs will deliver an industry-leading performance across multiple key metrics, including the number of NPUs (neural processing units), total computing power, memory capacity, and interconnect bandwidth,” said Xu, quoted in the press release.

The announcement comes one day after a report by the Financial Times said that China’s internet regulator had instructed domestic tech giants including Alibaba and ByteDance to terminate orders for certain Nvidia products.

According to the FT, citing unnamed sources, the Cyberspace Administration of China ordered companies to end all testing and purchase plans for Nvidia’s RTX Pro 6000D chips, state-of-the-art processors made especially for the country.

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang said Wednesday that he was “disappointed” by the report.

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.

The FT report also said that Beijing regulators have recently summoned Huawei and Cambricon — another domestic chipmaker — for discussions on how their products stack up against Nvidia’s chips for the Chinese market.