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A “Cluster” Strategy to Offset Sanctions
In what comes across as a bold challenge to the United States, Huawei has been hindered by American sanctions from accessing the most advanced chip-making technology. This limitation prevents the company from producing chips that are individually as powerful as those from Nvidia.
To counteract this, Huawei has implemented a strategy of massive “clustering.” The company has engineered systems called “Atlas supernodes” that can efficiently link thousands of its Ascend chips together. These supernodes are then grouped to create “superclusters.” The upcoming “Atlas 950 SuperCluster,” set to launch next year, will consist of over 500,000 Ascend chips. During its unveiling, Huawei’s chairman Eric Xu claimed that this method would make their system 6.7 times more powerful than Nvidia’s forthcoming NVL144 system.
A Roadmap to “Double the Power Each Year”
For the first time in years, Huawei has also made public its roadmap for its AI chips. The company plans to release a new generation of its Ascend chips annually through 2028 (950 in 2026, 960 in 2027, 970 in 2028), with the goal of “doubling the computing power with each version.” Huawei also announced that it is developing its own high-bandwidth memory.
A Direct Challenge to American Dominance
This show of strength comes amidst an intense technology war. It coincides with Beijing urging its own tech giants to stop purchasing Nvidia chips and to instead prioritize domestic solutions. China has also recently initiated an anti-monopoly investigation against the American company.
What’s the Takeaway?
This is a formidable display by Huawei. Despite American sanctions intended to cripple them, the company has not only survived but has also managed to create a complete AI ecosystem, from chips to supercomputers.
Their strategy of “compensation through quantity” is a pragmatic and clever response to technological restrictions. If the performance claims hold true, it proves that China is successfully achieving its goal of self-sufficiency. This is bad news for Nvidia, which could potentially lose its largest market over time. What do you think, can Huawei truly catch up with Nvidia despite the American sanctions?