Alibaba and Baidu Deploy In-House Chips for AI Model Training

What Happened

Chinese tech giants Alibaba and Baidu have begun utilizing their own custom-designed chips to train advanced AI models, according to a report by The Information. This marks a strategic shift as both companies previously relied heavily on US-manufactured semiconductors, such as Nvidia GPUs, for artificial intelligence workloads. The move comes as ongoing US export controls restrict access to high-performance chips, pushing Chinese firms to seek greater technological self-reliance. Alibaba and Baidu are leveraging these in-house chips for large-scale AI training at their data centers, furthering China\’s ambitions in generative AI and enterprise automation.

Why It Matters

This development signifies a major step in China\’s bid for technological independence in semiconductor manufacturing and AI development. As global competition intensifies, the ability of Alibaba and Baidu to design and implement their own chips could improve performance, reduce costs, and mitigate supply chain risks imposed by international sanctions. Read more in our AI News Hub