Microsoft Develops In-House AI Chips to Lessen Dependence on External Suppliers

The Azure Maia 100 AI Accelerator and the Azure Cobalt 100 CPU, designed to train and run AI models respectively, will roll out to Azure data centers next year.

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.

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