The Guardian - China-Nvidia to release three new AI chips for China after US restrictions report

Nvidia is planning to release three new chips for China, according to local media reports, weeks after the US blocked it from selling two high-end artificial intelligence (AI) chips and one of its top gaming chips to Chinese firms.

Nvidia could announce the chips – the HGX H20, L20 PCIe and L2 PCIe – as soon as 16 November, the Star Market Daily news outlet reported, citing people familiar with the matter

Nvidia declined to comment when asked about the report. Last month, the US AI chip giant said new export restrictions announced by Washington would block it from selling two of its modified advanced AI chips – the A800 and H800 – both of which were created for the Chinese market last year to comply with previous export rules.

One of the company’s top-of-the-line gaming chips, the L40S chip, which it announced in August, would also be affected, it said.

On 24 October, Nvidia said those curbs would take immediate effect, as US regulators had sped up an original deadline.

Nvidia has commanded a more than 90% share of China’s $7bn AI chip market, and analysts have said the US curbs are likely to create opportunities for domestic firms such as Huawei Technologies to make inroads.

The Chinese internet giant Baidu placed a sizeable order for Huawei AI chips this year, sources have said. One said Baidu had done so before the US curbs were announced as it was preparing for a future when it would no longer be able to purchase from Nvidia.

Shares in Nvidia rose 1.8% during pre-market trading in New York.