Huawei Technologies is stepping up its game in the AI race, preparing to test its most powerful artificial-intelligence processor yet — the Ascend 910D — in a direct challenge to Nvidia’s dominance, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Huawei has reportedly approached several Chinese tech firms to start testing the new chip’s technical capabilities, aiming to replace some of Nvidia’s higher-end products. Sources told WSJ that Huawei expects the first batch of 910D samples as early as late May.

If successful, the Ascend 910D could be more powerful than Nvidia’s flagship H100 chip, which has been banned from sale in China since 2022 under U.S. export controls aimed at slowing Beijing’s technological advances.

Huawei is already ramping up production, with Reuters reporting earlier that mass shipments of its Ascend 910C AI chips could begin next month.

A New Front in the AI Chip War

  • Huawei and other Chinese companies have long struggled to match Nvidia’s edge in high-end AI chips critical for training machine learning models.
  • With Washington blocking China’s access to Nvidia’s most advanced hardware, Huawei’s domestic breakthroughs could dramatically shift the balance.
  • The move comes amid a broader U.S.-China tech standoff, as tariffs, sanctions, and export controls reshape global semiconductor competition.

Nvidia declined to comment on the development. Huawei has not yet issued an official response to the latest reports.

As tensions escalate, Huawei’s next-gen Ascend chip could become a major milestone in China’s quest for AI self-sufficiency — and a new headache for Washington.

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.

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