Alibaba’s New AI Chip
Alibaba has developed a versatile new AI inference chip to reduce reliance on U.S. suppliers like Nvidia. This chip — manufactured domestically rather than via TSMC — is designed to handle a broader range of inference workloads and remains compatible with Nvidia’s software ecosystem, giving it a strategic edge over rivals such as Huawei’s Ascend chips . Its announcement triggered significant market movement, with Alibaba shares jumping over 12% following the release of earnings and this unveiling . The move underscores China’s push to build self-sufficiency in AI amid tightening U.S. export restrictions .
Nvidia’s Developments
Nvidia is advancing its AI hardware lineup with several key developments:
It is seeking approval to export a scaled-down version of its Blackwell-generation chip (B30A) to China—designed to outperform the H100 while complying with export controls .
The recently unveiled GB10 “superchip” integrates a Blackwell-based GPU and MediaTek CPU on a single package for high-performance AI workstations .
