, Columnist
China’s AI Chips Push Is Facing the Ultimate Test
Does the rise of Cambricon and other homegrown alternatives mean Beijing is truly over Nvidia?
A nascent homegrown market.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergIs China’s artificial intelligence sector finally taking the plunge and shifting away from Nvidia Corp. in favor of homegrown chips?
Fresh exuberance for domestic alternatives suggests the inflection point has arrived. Blowout earnings from Cambricon Technologies Corp., reports that Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is testing new AI hardware, and Beijing spurning the return of Nvidia’s made-for-China H20 chips to the market indicate the industry is finally getting on board with the government’s push for self-reliance.