By Li Panpan
(JW Insights) Jul 10 -- Shanghai may face a hardware problem in developing AI with the US export controls of Nvidia chips to China, reported Asia Times on July 7.
The Shanghai government is stepping up its efforts to attract artificial intelligence (AI) talent and investments and improve regulations with the objective of building a world-class AI hub in its Pudong District - Shanghai's technology center.
Top Shanghai officials said at the World AI Conference (WAIC) on July 6 that the largest commercial city in China - which hosts the conference - will gather and groom AI experts to strengthen research and development and promote the use of AI technologies in the advanced manufacturing, urban management and robotics sectors.
However, Shanghai may face a hardware problem starting later this month, as the Biden administration is set to ban exports of Nvidia's A800 and H800 AI chips to China soon and also restrict US investment funds from putting money into China's top technology sectors.
In recent years, China's Huawei Technologies and Cambricon Technologies have launched their AI chips, which are said to run at speeds of 60-to-70% that of Nvidia's A100 chip. But the manufacturing of these chips is now done by Taiwan's TSMC and can be affected by the prospective US curbs.
Currently, Chinese AI firms can still buy A800 and H800 chips, which were introduced by Nvidia last November after the company's A100 and H100 chips were added to a US export control list last August. It is said that A800's performance has reached 70% of the A100's.
Media reports said last week that the US Commerce Department may also ban the exports of A800 and H800 chips to China soon. The announcement reportedly would be made after US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's four-day Beijing trip ends on July 9.
Ken Hu, rotating chairman of Huawei, said on July 6 that the company has been working hard developing AI chips and industrial applications in recent years.
Hu said both Huawei's Ascend AI chips and Kunpeng central processing units (CPUs) have already made some key breakthroughs.
According to a research report published by CITIC Securities on July 4, more than 20 Chinese cities have used Ascend chips in their AI facilities while Huawei now has a 79% share in China's AI computing center market, reported Asia Times.
Some media reports said Ascend 910's performance is about 70% of that of the A100 while Cambricon's Siyuan 370's performance is about 60-70% of the A100. Both chips are manufactured in Taiwan using TSMC's advanced 7nm technology.
A Fujian-based writer says that, even if TSMC can continue to produce AI chips for China, Chinese firms lack the tools to develop more advanced AI chips amid the US curbs and will be left behind by Nvidia.
In May, Nvidia said it will hire 1,000 people and invest up to TWD24.3 billion ($$790 million) in its new AI research center, or AI University, in Taiwan.
The WAIC has been held in Shanghai annually since 2018. This year's event attracted a lot more attention as the AI sector has become popular after the Microsoft-backed OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT 3.5, an AI chatbot, last November. Share prices of Nvidia, which has a more than 80% share in the AI chip markets, have grown 196% so far this year.
“There is a tremendous number of very smart and talented people in China,” Tesla founder Elon Musk said in a video shown during the WAIC. “The Chinese can be great at anything if they set their minds to, not only in many sectors of the economy but also in AI. I believe that China will have strong AI capabilities.”
“We will create a good atmosphere for gathering AI talent from all over the world, and accelerate the training of a group of top-notch and urgently-needed talents,” Shanghai party secretary Chen Jining said in an opening speech at the WAIC. “We will adhere to open collaboration, build a platform, encourage cooperation, and create an open-source and innovative ecology.”
Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng said Shanghai must firmly grasp the wave of new technological revolutions such as AI to upgrade its industries and turn itself into a socialist modern international metropolis with world influence. Gong said the city aims to build a high ground for itself in the AI industry, according to the Asia Times report.
By Li Panpan
(JW Insights) Jul 10 -- Shanghai may face a hardware problem in developing AI with the US export controls of Nvidia chips to China, reported Asia Times on July 7.
The Shanghai government is stepping up its efforts to attract artificial intelligence (AI) talent and investments and improve regulations with the objective of building a world-class AI hub in its Pudong District - Shanghai's technology center.
Top Shanghai officials said at the World AI Conference (WAIC) on July 6 that the largest commercial city in China - which hosts the conference - will gather and groom AI experts to strengthen research and development and promote the use of AI technologies in the advanced manufacturing, urban management and robotics sectors.
However, Shanghai may face a hardware problem starting later this month, as the Biden administration is set to ban exports of Nvidia's A800 and H800 AI chips to China soon and also restrict US investment funds from putting money into China's top technology sectors.
In recent years, China's Huawei Technologies and Cambricon Technologies have launched their AI chips, which are said to run at speeds of 60-to-70% that of Nvidia's A100 chip. But the manufacturing of these chips is now done by Taiwan's TSMC and can be affected by the prospective US curbs.
Currently, Chinese AI firms can still buy A800 and H800 chips, which were introduced by Nvidia last November after the company's A100 and H100 chips were added to a US export control list last August. It is said that A800's performance has reached 70% of the A100's.
Media reports said last week that the US Commerce Department may also ban the exports of A800 and H800 chips to China soon. The announcement reportedly would be made after US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's four-day Beijing trip ends on July 9.
Ken Hu, rotating chairman of Huawei, said on July 6 that the company has been working hard developing AI chips and industrial applications in recent years.
Hu said both Huawei's Ascend AI chips and Kunpeng central processing units (CPUs) have already made some key breakthroughs.
According to a research report published by CITIC Securities on July 4, more than 20 Chinese cities have used Ascend chips in their AI facilities while Huawei now has a 79% share in China's AI computing center market, reported Asia Times.
Some media reports said Ascend 910's performance is about 70% of that of the A100 while Cambricon's Siyuan 370's performance is about 60-70% of the A100. Both chips are manufactured in Taiwan using TSMC's advanced 7nm technology.
A Fujian-based writer says that, even if TSMC can continue to produce AI chips for China, Chinese firms lack the tools to develop more advanced AI chips amid the US curbs and will be left behind by Nvidia.
In May, Nvidia said it will hire 1,000 people and invest up to TWD24.3 billion ($$790 million) in its new AI research center, or AI University, in Taiwan.
The WAIC has been held in Shanghai annually since 2018. This year's event attracted a lot more attention as the AI sector has become popular after the Microsoft-backed OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT 3.5, an AI chatbot, last November. Share prices of Nvidia, which has a more than 80% share in the AI chip markets, have grown 196% so far this year.
“There is a tremendous number of very smart and talented people in China,” Tesla founder Elon Musk said in a video shown during the WAIC. “The Chinese can be great at anything if they set their minds to, not only in many sectors of the economy but also in AI. I believe that China will have strong AI capabilities.”
“We will create a good atmosphere for gathering AI talent from all over the world, and accelerate the training of a group of top-notch and urgently-needed talents,” Shanghai party secretary Chen Jining said in an opening speech at the WAIC. “We will adhere to open collaboration, build a platform, encourage cooperation, and create an open-source and innovative ecology.”
Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng said Shanghai must firmly grasp the wave of new technological revolutions such as AI to upgrade its industries and turn itself into a socialist modern international metropolis with world influence. Gong said the city aims to build a high ground for itself in the AI industry, according to the Asia Times report.
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