Google has unveiled Ironwood, a colossal seventh-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) designed for inference, boasting unparalleled computational power over 24 times greater than the world's largest supercomputer, marking a groundbreaking leap in energy-efficient inference capabilities.
Nvidia, a leader in AI chips, faces challenges navigating Trump's trade tensions and tariffs that threaten its global supply chain and exports to China, prompting CEO Jensen Huang to fortify the company's dominance through expanding research and talent pipelines worldwide.
Intel, facing manufacturing struggles, is in talks with TSMC for a joint venture where TSMC would operate Intel's factories, taking a 20% stake, as the White House pushes for the deal to revive Intel's chip production, with TSMC also courting other chipmakers to join.
AMD's CEO Lisa Su cautioned about potential semiconductor tariffs' short-term impact while endorsing resilient supply chains and US manufacturing, as the company finalizes its $4.9 billion ZT Systems acquisition to strengthen hyperscaler compute infrastructure.
Chip stocks plunged despite being exempted from tariffs, signaling persistent industry headwinds stemming from potential semiconductor-specific tariffs, weakening demand due to existing tariffs, uncertainties around export restrictions, AI regulations, and infrastructure project pullbacks.
Chinese companies employ various tactics, including smuggling, exploiting loopholes, leveraging subsidiaries, utilizing cloud services, and innovating with alternative chips, to circumvent U.S. restrictions on advanced semiconductor technology.
OpenAI secures a staggering $40 billion funding at $300 billion valuation led by SoftBank, Microsoft, Coatue, Altimeter, and Thrive, with $18 billion earmarked for Stargate AI data center infrastructure across the U.S.
CoreWeave, an AI computing solutions provider, adjusted its IPO pricing amid market volatility, raising $1.5 billion at a $19 billion valuation by pricing shares at $40, below the expected $47-$55 range, to align with buyer interest amidst macroeconomic challenges.
Nvidia's substantial $250 million order for CoreWeave's AI chip-powered computing services is expected to bolster the latter's $40 per share IPO bid, signaling a potential revival for the sluggish IPO market.
Extropic's pioneering thermodynamic chips leverage energy fluctuations for ultra-efficient probabilistic computing, promising a 3-4 order magnitude boost in efficiency over current hardware and a potential revolution in energy-efficient AI and simulations.