Huawei Technologies of China is preparing to test its latest and most powerful artificial-intelligence processor, aiming to rival some of the high-end products from US chip leader Nvidia, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal on Sunday.
Huawei has reached out to several Chinese tech companies to assess the technical feasibility of the new chip, named the Ascend 910D, the report said, citing sources familiar with the situation.
The Chinese company is hopeful that the new version of its Ascend AI processors will outperform Nvidia’s H100, with the first batch of samples expected to arrive as early as late May, the report added.
Reuters reported on Monday that Huawei intends to begin mass shipments of its advanced 910C AI chip to Chinese customers as soon as next month.
For years, Huawei and other Chinese companies have struggled to compete with Nvidia in developing high-end chips capable of competing with the US firm’s products used for training models, a process where data is input into algorithms to help them make more accurate decisions.
In an effort to restrict China’s technological advancements, especially those related to its military, the US has blocked China from accessing Nvidia’s most advanced AI products, including its flagship B200 chip.
The H100 chip, for example, was banned from sale in China by US authorities in 2022, even before its official launch.
Nvidia declined to comment, and Huawei did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
