The Wall Street Journal reports that Chinese company Huawei Technologies is preparing to launch testing of its latest artificial intelligence chip, Ascend 910D, which may become a competitor to American Nvidia’s top products.
Testing the new chip
Huawei has asked several Chinese technology companies to evaluate the capabilities of the Ascend 910D. According to sources, the first samples of the chip should arrive for testing at the end of May 2025. The development process is early, and a series of tests are required to prepare for a market launch.
Ambitions against Nvidia
The company hopes that the Ascend 910D will outperform the Nvidia H100 chip, released in 2022 and widely used for artificial intelligence training. Huawei aims to take a leading position in the AI chip market despite the US sanctions that have been in place against the company since 2019.
Bypassing sanctions
Huawei has already demonstrated the ability to overcome US restrictions, particularly with the release of the Mate 60 smartphone in 2023, which had a chip of its own production. This device caused surprise in Washington, especially when it was presented during a visit to Beijing by former US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
Increased competition
Recently, the US added the Nvidia H20 chip to the list of restricted semiconductors for sale in China without a license. This decision will cost Nvidia $5.5 billion and open up opportunities for Chinese companies such as Huawei and Cambricon Technologies. In 2025, Huawei plans to supply more than 800,000 Ascend 910B and 910C chips, including to state-owned telecommunications operators and private AI developers such as ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.