Huawei to debut Ascend 960 AI chip as China pushes Nvidia alternative
Huawei will unveil its Ascend 960 AI processor at a Shanghai summit, aiming to challenge Nvidia and reduce reliance on U.S. technology.
Huawei Technologies is preparing to launch its Ascend 960 artificial-intelligence processor during a summit in Shanghai, with sales expected to begin in 2027. Rotating chairman Wang Tao will lead the announcement, while supervisory board member Guo Ping emphasized the goal of running every AI model both inside China and internationally. The new chip follows the Ascend 950 series, which already powers DeepSeek's planned 160,000-chip data centre in Inner Mongolia.
Huawei is also pursuing export opportunities in Malaysia and Egypt, according to reports. Though still trailing Nvidia in raw performance, Huawei hopes its system-level innovations—such as a SuperPod architecture linking up to 100,000 chips and a proprietary UnifiedBus network—will narrow the gap. The move reflects Beijing’s broader push for self-reliance amid long-standing U.S. export restrictions on advanced semiconductors.
Why it matters
The launch signals China's effort to build an independent AI chip ecosystem and lessen dependence on U.S. technology.
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