Huawei, under US restriction, introduces the 'most powerful' AI computing cluster, aiming to bolster China's technological capabilities.
In a significant move, Chinese tech giant Huawei has announced the launch of its new AI supercomputing systems, the Atlas 950 and Atlas 960, at Huawei Connect in Shanghai. These systems, claimed to be the world's most powerful, are part of Huawei's ambitious plan to build a robust AI infrastructure and reduce its dependency on US technology.
The Atlas 950 and Atlas 960 are designed to link 8,192 and 15,488 chips, respectively, and are known as 'superclusters.' These systems build on the earlier Atlas 900, which runs on 384 Ascend 910C chips. Huawei has already launched the Ascend 910C in the first quarter of 2022.
Huawei aims to release eight new iterations of the Ascend AI chip over the next three years. The rollout timelines for each chip are as follows: Ascend 950 in 2026, Ascend 960 in 2027, and Ascend 970 in 2028.
The company has deployed more than 300 of its Atlas 900 A3 supernodes to more than 20 customers in telecoms, manufacturing, and other industries. This move is part of Huawei's strategy to control the next era of computing, potentially impacting global supply chains, economic influence, and the very architecture of artificial intelligence.
Amidst this AI race, the United States has banned China from using its most advanced AI products, including NVIDIA's H100 and H200 chips. In response, Huawei claims to overcome the bottleneck that forced China to rely on US and South Korean suppliers for chips by using a proprietary high-bandwidth memory.
Meanwhile, Huawei Vice Chairman Eric Xu has predicted Huawei's products would "be ahead on all fronts" compared to Nvidia by the next year. The competition between these tech giants is not only about technological superiority but also about economic influence and global dominance.
Beijing has extended a probe into Nvidia over alleged monopolistic practices, raising the pressure on the American firm. In retaliation, Nvidia has launched the A800 and H800 chips to bypass restrictions on Chinese markets.
A supercluster in Huawei's AI infrastructure is connected to multiple superpods, which are built by supernodes, built on the Ascend chips. This intricate network of AI systems is a testament to Huawei's commitment to AI development and its goal to become a global leader in this field.
According to Eric Xu, computing power is key to AI, especially for China's AI development. With its new supercomputing systems and the planned releases of eight new iterations of the Ascend AI chip, Huawei is poised to make significant strides in the AI race, potentially reshaping the global landscape of AI technology.
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