China’s Huawei Technologies is preparing to test its latest and most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) processor, the Ascend 910D, aiming to challenge high-end products from US chipmaker Nvidia, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
The new chip, still in early development, is expected to undergo a series of technical tests before being approved for customer use. Huawei has reportedly approached several Chinese tech firms to help test the chip’s performance.
The company hopes the Ascend 910D will outperform Nvidia’s flagship H100 chip, with the first batch of samples expected by late May. Earlier iterations of the series include the Ascend 910B and 910C.
According to Reuters, Huawei also plans to begin mass shipments of its advanced Ascend 910C chip to Chinese customers as early as next month.
For years, Huawei and other Chinese firms have struggled to compete with Nvidia in developing AI chips capable of training advanced models. US export restrictions have further complicated these efforts; Washington banned the sale of Nvidia’s H100 chips to China in 2022 and more recently blocked exports of the latest B200 chip, aiming to curb China’s technological progress, particularly in the military sector.
Despite these obstacles, Huawei has emerged as a key player in China’s push to create a self-sufficient semiconductor industry. The Shenzhen-based company demonstrated its technological resilience in 2023 with the surprise launch of the Mate 60 smartphone, powered by a domestically made processor, amid continued US trade restrictions.
Huawei declined to comment on the reports, and Nvidia also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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