China’s Huawei Technologies is set to unveil a new artificial intelligence (AI) chip named Ascend 910C, which is reportedly comparable to Nvidia’s H100 model, and has been undergoing tests by Chinese internet and telecom companies in recent weeks.
It is believed that this move could challenge U.S. chipmaker Nvidia’s dominance in the Chinese market.
This development comes in the wake of U.S. sanctions imposed last year that prevent Nvidia from selling its advanced chips, including the H100, to Chinese customers due to national security concerns. In response, Nvidia introduced three alternative chips tailored for the Chinese market, including the H20. However, the computing power of these chips has been significantly reduced to comply with U.S. regulations.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Huawei plans to begin shipping the Ascend 910C as early as October. Major Chinese companies, including TikTok parent ByteDance, Baidu, and China Mobile, are reportedly in discussions to acquire the new chips. Initial negotiations suggest that orders for the 910C could exceed 70,000 units, with a potential total value of around $2 billion.
