Google TPU gains test Nvidia’s lead, but the GPU ecosystem still rules

Google’s latest TPU gains have rattled the AI hardware market, but IC distributors maintain that Nvidia’s GPU-led ecosystem still sets the benchmark for modern AI compute. TPUs may edge out GPUs in some LLM workloads, yet Nvidia’s end-to-end stack, from CUDA to silicon to systems, keeps its lead firmly intact, reinforced further by the Jetson Thor platform for edge AI.

Continue reading

China adds local chips to procurement list as US approves Nvidia H200 exports

China has reportedly added domestic artificial intelligence processors to its official government procurement list for the first time, according to the Financial Times. The move signals a major effort to accelerate semiconductor self-reliance even as the US authorizes limited exports of Nvidia’s advanced H200 chips to the country. The policy shift raises questions over how China will balance its push for indigenous development with continued demand for high-end US hardware.

Continue reading

Huawei’s chip breakthrough prompts US to relax AI export controls

Recent reports suggest one big reason US President Donald Trump has allowed exports of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to China is Huawei’s rapid rise in AI computing. Bloomberg cites multiple sources, stating that after White House officials reviewed Huawei’s Ascend series chips and its CloudMatrix 384 AI-native cloud infrastructure platform, they concluded that Huawei’s overall performance is now approaching Nvidia’s advanced Blackwell-based NVL72 platform. This significantly reduces the need for a total ban on AI chip exports to China.

Continue reading

Budget stall threatens Taiwan’s 2026 semiconductor and tech R&D agenda

Taiwan’s 2026 central government budget has stalled in the Legislative Yuan amid partisan gridlock and the ruling party’s loss of a parliamentary majority, raising concerns over funding for the nation’s most critical science and technology programs. Premier Jung-tai Cho urged lawmakers to accelerate the budget review, warning that prolonged delays could disrupt major R&D subsidies, semiconductor

Continue reading

Nvidia trials chip-tracking tech amid US bust of US$160M GPU smuggling ring

Nvidia has developed technology to verify the physical location of its artificial intelligence chips, according to a Reuters report, as US authorities simultaneously dismantled a China-linked network accused of smuggling more than US$160 million worth of GPUs to restricted markets, CNBC reported, citing newly unsealed court documents and a statement from the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

Continue reading