Overview

• Microsoft has announced the development of two custom-designed, in-house AI chips: the Azure Maia 100 AI Accelerator and the Azure Cobalt 100 CPU.
• The Maia 100 is designed to train AI models, while the Cobalt 100 is designed to run them.
• Both chips will start to roll out early next year to Azure data centers, initially powering Microsoft AI services like Copilot and Azure OpenAI Service.
• The development of these chips is seen as a move to lessen Microsoft's reliance on external chip suppliers, such as Nvidia, whose AI cards are reportedly sold out until 2024.
• Microsoft's close AI partner, OpenAI, provided feedback on Maia 100’s design.