Huawei and the Pengcheng Laboratory released Cloud Brain II, a new AI computing platform, on Friday.

The Chinese appear to be extremely serious about their drive to achieve global supremacy in artificial intelligence (AI). According to Global Times, Huawei and a major national laboratory have joined forces to build the world’s largest AI computing platform. The platform will use Huawei’s Atlas 900, claimed to be the world’s fastest AI training cluster. Further, Huawei will take the battle right into the Intel and NVIDIA camps by using its Kunpeng 920 chipset to power Atlas 900.

Moreover, Huawei claims the chipset, Kunpeng 920, used in the Cloud Brain AI computing, will be faster than Intel’s X86, with 30 percent lower energy consumption.  “We hope to offer the world a new choice,” said Hou Jinlong at the launch. Hou is President of Huawei’s Cloud and AI Products and Services.

Hou went so far as to claim that Huawei’s self-developed chipsets will become the new fundamental architecture for AI computing worldwide.

Huawei’s Kunpeng 920: Stepping up its game

After the US blacklisted Huawei and clamped down on the export of US-made components to it, Huawei has revved up its development of technologies and chipsets. It aims to address the entire gamut of applications from base stations to smartphones, servers, PCs, and AI.

Huawei’s latest phone, the Mate 30, which launched in September, is meant to be an iPhone 11 killer. It comes with a curved display, telephone, and wide-angle cameras, but here’s the thing – it contains no U.S. parts.

“It has been increasing the percentage of homegrown chipsets used, and reducing its dependence on foreign suppliers, especially American components.”

– Xiang Ligang of the Beijing-based Information Consumption Alliance on the Chinese company’s strategy.

China’s race to own the AI crown

China is developing its AI thrust using a city-cluster approach. Cities such as Shenzen and Shanghai have policies that support AI talent and innovation platforms.

The Pengcheng lab, which is partnering Huawei in the Cloudbrain II AI platform, is based in Shenzen.

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