Huawei Unveils New Chip Technologies in AI Development Push

Chinese technology giant Huawei has stepped up its artificial intelligence (AI) efforts by launching new chip technologies, narrowing the gap between China and the US in AI research. The company unveiled the Atlas 960 SuperPoD computing cluster, a faster successor to its previous model with improved AI training and inference capabilities.

Huawei also plans to launch the Ascend 970 and 980 chip series in 2028 and 2029, respectively, which are expected to have significant improvements in computing power. The timing of the announcement coincides with an expected meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 24.

Analysts say that while China has rapidly pursued technological self-reliance, including in chips, it still relies heavily on US-made chips from companies like Nvidia for advanced AI technologies. However, Huawei's advancements in chip technology are a significant milestone in the country's bid to reduce its dependence on foreign suppliers.

George Chen, a partner and chair of digital practice at The Asia Group consultancy, noted that 'the fact that Huawei achieved this upgrade in just a year, far quicker than before, will only heighten U.S. anxiety about the accelerating AI competition.'