On the World AI Convention in Shanghai, Zhang Ping’an, CEO of Huawei Cloud, delivered a compelling message concerning China’s AI progress amidst U.S. sanctions on superior GPUs and chipmaking expertise. Regardless of the constraints imposed by restricted entry to top-tier processors, Zhang emphasised that China can proceed to guide in AI with out relying solely on high-end chips.
Zhang dismissed considerations that the restrictions on superior AI processors, comparable to Nvidia’s H100/H200 and B100/B200, would considerably impede China’s AI growth. He underscored that China’s AI management shouldn’t be contingent on these high-end chips. Acknowledging the nation’s present limitation in computing energy as a result of sanctions, Zhang highlighted the significance of being impartial of probably the most superior expertise.
Zhang pointed to Huawei’s efforts in creating the Ascend 910-series processors for AI functions. He claimed these processors are aggressive with Nvidia’s A100, although analysts in Europe and the U.S. haven’t independently verified this assertion. The U.S. restrictions on Nvidia processors imply that main Chinese language tech firms like Baidu, Huawei, and Tencent should depend on home expertise, which Zhang views as a chance moderately than a setback.
Nonetheless, Zhang acknowledged the efficiency limitations of home processors. He admitted that processors from Huawei and Biren Know-how, produced on older manufacturing nodes, can’t match the efficiency of contemporary AI and high-performance computing GPUs from AMD and Nvidia. Moreover, SMIC, which manufactures chips for Huawei and Biren, lacks entry to cutting-edge tools, contributing to China’s lag in per-processor computing efficiency.
To handle these challenges, Zhang advocated for a holistic strategy combining cloud, edge, and community applied sciences to reinforce effectivity and scale back energy consumption for AI workloads. He highlighted Huawei Cloud as a number one supplier of AI providers, suggesting that leveraging cloud expertise might compensate for the dearth of superior AI processors. Nonetheless, it stays unclear whether or not Huawei’s processors are really useful for coaching massive language fashions immediately in Huawei Cloud or if they need to be skilled on exterior machines after which deployed in Huawei Cloud.
Total, Zhang careworn the necessity to abandon the idea that the absence of probably the most superior AI chips precludes management in AI. He conveyed confidence that by innovation and a strategic strategy, China can keep its place on the forefront of AI growth regardless of the continued U.S. sanctions.
Associated:
(by way of)