As the US imposes sanctions, China accelerates: discover how Huawei is leading the race for AI supremacy
US restrictions on the export of advanced hardware have severely impacted the AI ambitions of many Chinese companies, limiting their access to powerful chips needed to train large-scale AI models and perform complex computations. Companies like ByteDance and Alibaba, which rely on high-end processors for their AI operations, have been forced to turn to lower-spec GPUs like Nvidia’s H20 or look for homegrown alternatives.
However, not all Chinese companies have been equally affected by the US crackdown. Huawei, which has been developing its own AI chipsets such as the Ascend 910B and Ascend 910C (recently tested by the company), has enjoyed success in positioning itself as a domestic alternative to Nvidia. During the event Huawei Connect 2024Huawei vice president Eric Xu Zhijun presented the company’s strategy of building AI systems “accessible to every person, home and organization,” according to the South China Morning Post. He also announced that Huawei plans to invest heavily in developing the AI ecosystem over the next five years.
Xu also acknowledged the challenges posed by US sanctions, stating that “US restrictions on AI chips for China are unlikely to be lifted anytime soon.” However, he emphasized that this situation presents an opportunity for Huawei to expand its cloud computing services and offer on-premises alternatives for AI infrastructure. Huawei’s cloud computing unit, which has already become a critical growth area, generated 55.29 billion yuan ($7.6 billion) in revenue in 2023, representing a 21.9% increase over the previous year. previous year.
“Cloud services are the best option for many companies looking to incorporate AI into their businesses,” highlighted Xu. “With Ascend and AI services, we aim to enable every enterprise to have real-time access to on-demand AI computing power, delivering model training and inference more efficiently.”
At the same event, Huawei announced updates to its AI toolset, new collaborations with partners like China Mobile for autonomous driving networks, and plans to develop AI solutions aimed at the automotive sector. Even in the face of limitations imposed by the US, Huawei is aggressively advancing the AI race, while the United States may soon see its advantage in this area diminish.
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2024/10/17/china-comeca-deixar-eua-comendo-poeira-na-corrida-pela-melhor-ia/
