Nvidia plans to start shipping small volumes of an AI chip built for Chinese customers by year-end, Reuters reported Thursday, citing The Information. The chip pairs Groq-licensed technology with Nvidia's graphics processors, but it remains unclear whether Beijing will approve its sale.
Nvidia plans to start shipping small volumes of an AI chip designed for Chinese customers by year-end, The Information reported, citing two employees. Reuters said it could not independently verify the report, and Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Chip Built for Chatbot Speed
Several Chinese customers have already ordered the chip, a version of Nvidia's language processing unit that uses technology licensed from Groq and works alongside Nvidia's graphics processors to speed up AI chatbot responses. The chip complies with U.S. export controls, though it remains unclear whether Beijing will approve the sales.
Inference Market Stays Competitive
Nvidia dominates the market for training AI systems, but it faces much more competition in the inference market. Several major Chinese firms, including Baidu, already produce their own inference chips. Reuters reported in March that Nvidia was preparing a China-compatible version of its AI chips as it sought to compete in that fast-growing segment. Separately, the Financial Times describes Nvidia as the world's biggest chip company.
Sources: Reuters, via Investing.com, Financial Times
Trading involves risk.