Huawei’s Ascend 910C Chip Aims to Replace Nvidia’s Blackwell Super Chip: The Beginning of a Great Technological Revolution
JEC NEW YORK –
An artificial intelligence computing corporation, NVIDIA, is preparing for the release of Huawei’s Ascend 910C chip that can reportedly challenge its Blackwell super chip. This new technology comes at a time when the US is beginning to restrict advanced AI hardware imports to China, making up for the advantage China would receive with Huawei’s enhanced version of Nvidia’s Blackwell. This superchip has the potential to shift the AI hardware market to China, while large Chinese tech companies seek alternatives to US technology.
Ascend 910C has gotten the attention of some of the biggest Chinese tech companies, such as ByteDance (the parent company of TikTok), Baidu, and the telecommunications state-owned company China Mobile. These companies are testing the chip to see its potential in changing AI operations for the better, a crucial need for China as the US is slowly closing off AI hardware trades. The Wall Street Journal reports early discussion for Ascend 910C between Huawei and potential consumers. It is estimated that preorders for the chip are valued at around $2.0bn, which exceeds 700,000 copies. This robust demand highlights Ascend 910C’s capabilities and the positive change it will bring to China despite the US’s technology restrictions. Huawei claims that “its AI chip training efficiency not only matches but surpasses Nvidia’s, with performance metrics already eclipsing Nvidia’s A100 chip.” Moreover, approximately half of Chinese large language models are using Ascend technology. This device “establishes a critical foundation for Huawei’s GenAI endeavors, positioning the company for further breakthroughs,” says Forbes.
Huawei aims to steal a huge portion of the AI hardware pie, presenting itself as a direct competitor to Nvidia, the current leader of the market. Shipments will be opened at the start of October, headlining its readiness and confidence to compete with these other giants that have much more experience in the game. Moreover, Huawei is eager to elongate China’s AI capabilities and gain the upper end over the US. Even though the US has limited technology trade with China, it is indirectly hurting Nvidia and Lam Research since it has shortened its ability to supply the Chinese market. The broader strategy behind Huawei’s release of Ascend 910C is to reduce its reliance on foreign technology, making it more independent and thus efficient. The Chinese tech giants that desire this chip subdue the need for domestic technology.
If Huawei successfully introduces the chip, and Nvidia can’t offer Chinese customers its advanced chip, the market will shift toward China. An analyst at research firm SemiAnalysis, Dylan Patel, claims that “Nvidia would lose market share rapidly in China.”. It is forecasted that Huawei will produce around 1.5 million chips next year, closely matching its competitor Nvidia’s manufacturing rate. In order to keep Huawei’s produce afloat, the Chinese government has offered to aid with billions of dollars, funding research for continuous improvement.
The US views Huawei as a national security threat as it has been on the entry list since 2019. The US believes that China is planning on using this superchip as a military weapon, in an attempt to outpower it. This significantly damaged Huawei’s chip production as it has limited access to critical components and manufacturing equipment. However, it is increasingly looking like China will grow its technology sector independently, without the assistance of the West. With such successful anticipation that surrounds Huawei, the AI hardware market will most likely see significant alterations.
Work Cited:
Matsui, Emiko. “Huawei Set to Challenge Dominance of Nvidia in AI Chip Market — Huawei Central.” Huawei Central, 18 Aug. 2024, www.huaweicentral.com/huawei-set-to-challenge-nvidias-dominance-in-ai-chip-market.
Greeven, Mark. “How Huawei Is Rivaling Nvidia in GenAI.” Forbes, 21 Aug. 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/markgreeven/2024/08/21/how-huawei-is-rivaling-nvidia-in-genai.
Shilov, Anton. “Huawei Already Has a New Chip to Rival Nvidia’s AI GPUs &Mdash; Ascend 910C Aims to Replace Nvidia’s Blackwell in China.” Tom’s Hardware, 14 Aug. 2024, www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/huawei-already-has-a-new-chip-to-rival-nvidia-ai-gpus.
