Huawei Challenges Nvidia with New AI Chip

Huawei Technologies is gearing up to test its most advanced artificial intelligence processor to date, aiming to challenge U.S. chipmaker Nvidia’s dominance in the AI hardware market. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the Chinese tech giant has begun discussions with domestic technology firms about trialing the new chip, named Ascend 910D.

Insiders say Huawei hopes the latest version of its Ascend AI processors will outperform Nvidia’s H100, one of the world’s most sought-after AI training chips. The first batch of Ascend 910D samples is expected to be delivered by late May, with full-scale production likely to follow if trials are successful.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Huawei is also preparing to ramp up shipments of its 910C AI chip to Chinese clients as early as next month, a move signaling the country’s accelerating efforts to reduce reliance on U.S. semiconductor technology amid tightening export restrictions.

The U.S. government has blocked sales of Nvidia’s top-end AI chips, including the H100 and its flagship B200, to China over concerns about military applications and national security. The H100 was prohibited from entering the Chinese market even before its official release in 2022.

As global AI demand surges, these moves mark a pivotal moment in the ongoing semiconductor race between China and the West.