Huawei Unveils Plans to Launch Ascend AI Chip with Self-Developed HBM

Introduction of AI Cluster 'SuperPod' Technology

Chinese big tech company Huawei has announced plans to launch a new artificial intelligence (AI) chip equipped with its self-developed high-bandwidth memory (HBM), as well as unveiled new AI cluster technology featuring even more powerful computing performance.

Huawei.

According to local Chinese media and Bloomberg on September 18, Huawei held its 'Huawei Connect' event at the Shanghai Expo Center on this day. At the event, Huawei announced that it would release the successors to the Ascend (Shengteng) 910C AI chip, which debuted in the first quarter of this year: the Ascend 950PR and 950DT, scheduled for release in the first and fourth quarters of next year, respectively. The company also revealed plans to launch the Ascend 960 in the fourth quarter of 2027 and the Ascend 970 in the fourth quarter of 2028.

This is the first time that Huawei has disclosed its roadmap for future releases of its self-developed Ascend AI chips. Xu Zhijun, Vice Chairman and Rotating Chairman of Huawei, stated, "We will release new chips on an annual basis, and with each new launch, we will double computing power." He also announced that the Ascend 950PR, which will be released in the first quarter of next year, will use HBM developed in-house by Huawei.

In a press release, Chairman Xu also shared plans to launch the AI clusters 'Atlas 950' and 'Atlas 960.' These products will utilize 'SuperPod' technology, which enables ultra-high-speed interconnection of chips, allowing up to 8,192 and 15,488 graphics cards equipped with Ascend chips to be connected, respectively.

The SuperPod technology is seen as an attempt to overcome the performance limitations of Huawei's products compared to Nvidia's top-tier offerings. Huawei has focused on developing semiconductor cluster technology to compensate for the lower computing performance of its own AI chips.

Chairman Xu stated, "Due to U.S. sanctions, we are unable to invest in TSMC, so the computing power of a single chip is not on par with Nvidia." He added, "However, with over 30 years of experience in interconnecting devices, Huawei has made strong investments and breakthroughs in related technologies, enabling us to achieve the world's most powerful computing capabilities with SuperNodes connecting up to 10,000 cards."