Overview

• Ren Zhengfei said Huawei’s Ascend AI chips can achieve performance comparable to the world’s best by using stacking and clustering techniques despite trailing US rivals by a generation.
• Huawei has patented methods to stack chiplets vertically, enabling smaller processor designs without sacrificing computing power.
• Ren’s interview with People’s Daily marked his first public comments on the impact of US sanctions since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022 and emphasized his belief that US measures have not stopped China’s AI advances.
• In May, the US Department of Commerce issued guidance warning that any global use of Ascend chips could violate American export controls, effectively extending a worldwide ban.
• Ren highlighted China’s strengths for AI development, citing its vast youth population, robust electricity infrastructure, and advanced communication networks.