Huawei says its AI chip better than Nvidia's A100 amid China's self-reliance drive
Huawei's AI Chip Rivalry: Ascend 910B
vs. Nvidia's A100
Huawei Technologies has
boldly claimed that its latest AI chip, the Ascend 910B, rivals and even
surpasses Nvidia's A100 in certain aspects. This announcement marks a
significant milestone for the Chinese tech giant, highlighting its rapid growth
in a market traditionally dominated by US-based Nvidia.
Huawei's AI Chip Advancements
Wang Tao, COO of Huawei
Ascend and Kunpeng ecosystem, revealed during the Nanjing World Semiconductor
Conference that the Ascend 910B AI chip can deliver up to 80% of the efficiency
of Nvidia's A100 in large language model training. In some tests, it reportedly
outperforms the A100 by 20%. "There is not much difference between the
computing power performances of the Huawei 910B and Nvidia A100 in large AI
model training," Wang stated.
Ascend 910B vs. Nvidia A100
Efficiency: Huawei's Ascend
910B achieves 80% of the A100's efficiency in training large language models.
Performance: In certain
tests, Ascend chips can exceed the A100's performance by 20%.
Market Impact: Ascend 910B
has gained traction in various industries through AI boxes, which integrate AI
chips, algorithms, and pre-trained models.
China's Self-Reliance Drive
Huawei's advancements come
amid China's push for self-reliance in technology. With US export restrictions
tightening, Nvidia cannot ship its advanced GPUs to China, providing an
opportunity for Huawei to step in.
Building an Ecosystem
Since being added to the US
trade blacklist in 2019, Huawei has focused on developing a proprietary
ecosystem of software and hardware. The Ascend series, introduced in 2019, is a
testament to these efforts.
Hardware Partners: 40
Software Partners: 1,600
AI Application Solutions:
2,900
Zhang Dixuan, head of
Huawei's Ascend computing business, emphasized the growth of this ecosystem,
demonstrating the company’s commitment to overcoming US sanctions.
The Competitive Landscape
Despite its advancements,
Huawei's AI chips face significant competition from Nvidia, which remains a
dominant player in China. Nvidia's tailored lower-grade chips for Chinese
clients highlight the competitive dynamics.
Market Share
Nvidia: Held 90% of the
500,000 AI chips sold in China in the first half of last year.
Huawei: Captured only 6% of
the market.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
acknowledged the increasing competition in China due to export curbs.
Strategic Deployments
Huawei operates Ascend
chip-powered computer clusters in 19 cities across China, including Beijing,
Shanghai, and Shenzhen. The company plans to expand these clusters to other
major cities, enhancing its footprint in the AI industry.
Key Cities
Current Clusters: Beijing,
Shanghai, Shenzhen
Planned Clusters: Kunming,
Changsha, Changchun, Jinan
Huawei's claim that its
Ascend 910B chip rivals Nvidia's A100 is a significant statement in the AI
industry. While the company still has challenges to overcome, especially
regarding manufacturing high-performance AI chips, its progress underscores
China's growing capabilities in technology. As Huawei continues to innovate and
expand its ecosystem, the competition in the AI chip market will intensify,
promising exciting developments ahead.
For more information, visit
the South China Morning Post and explore their extensive coverage of China's
technological advancements.
Comments
Post a Comment