Huawei Ascend Powers Domestic AI Chips in China
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- 来源：OrientDeck
If you're keeping an eye on the global AI chip race, here’s one player that’s been quietly stacking wins: Huawei Ascend. While NVIDIA dominates headlines (and data centers) in the West, Huawei has been engineering a homegrown alternative that’s now powering China’s AI ambitions — fast, efficient, and built for scale.
Let’s cut through the noise. The Huawei Ascend series, especially the Ascend 910B, is China’s most credible answer to U.S. semiconductor dominance. With export restrictions limiting access to high-end GPUs like the A100 and H100, Chinese tech firms had two choices: adapt or fall behind. They chose adaptation — and Ascend is at the heart of it.
Why Ascend Matters Now
The geopolitical climate has reshaped tech supply chains. Since 2022, U.S. sanctions have blocked advanced chip exports to China, forcing domestic innovation. Huawei responded by doubling down on its Ascend 910 and the improved Ascend 910B, which now powers major AI models across Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent.
According to TechInsights, shipments of Ascend-based AI accelerators grew over 180% YoY in 2023. That’s not just catch-up — it’s momentum.
Performance vs. the Competition
How does the Ascend 910B stack up against industry benchmarks? Here's a snapshot:
| Chip | AI Performance (INT8) | Power Efficiency (TOPS/W) | Manufacturing Process | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huawei Ascend 910B | 256 TOPS | 1.25 | 7nm (SMIC) | China-only |
| NVIDIA A100 | 312 TOPS | 1.45 | 7nm (TSMC) | Global (restricted in China) |
| NVIDIA H100 | 756 TOPS | 2.20 | 4nm (TSMC) | Limited global supply |
While the Ascend 910B doesn’t match the raw power of the H100, it outperforms many older NVIDIA chips still in use and runs efficiently within China’s localized cloud infrastructure. More importantly, it’s available — a huge advantage when supply chains are strained.
Real-World Adoption: Who’s Using Ascend?
It’s not just government-backed projects. Major private players are integrating Ascend into their stacks:
- Baidu: Uses Ascend chips to train portions of its ERNIE Bot, reducing reliance on imported hardware.
- Tencent Cloud: Offers Ascend-powered instances for AI inference, cutting costs by ~30% compared to cross-border GPU rentals.
- SenseTime: Deployed Ascend 910B in edge AI cameras for smart city applications.
This isn’t niche experimentation — it’s mainstream adoption. And with Huawei’s full-stack AI framework, MindSpore, developers get optimized tooling that works seamlessly across Ascend hardware.
The Road Ahead
Huawei isn’t stopping here. Rumors point to the Ascend 910C launching in late 2024, potentially closing the gap further with process shrinks and architectural upgrades. If SMIC advances its 5nm node reliability, China could see near-parity performance within two years.
The bottom line? Huawei Ascend is no longer a backup plan — it’s a strategic pillar of China’s AI independence. For businesses operating in or with China, understanding this shift isn’t optional. It’s essential.