Latest news with #ReducedInstructionSetComputer
The Star
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Beijing pours tens of millions of dollars into fostering Nvidia-free AI ecosystem in China
The Yizhuang Development Zone aims to establish a nationally leading AI industry ecosystem using only Chinese technology. — SCMP Beijing is allocating tens of millions of US dollars in subsidies to stimulate growth in the city's artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain, using entirely domestic technologies, as China invests heavily in its technological self-reliance drive. The Yizhuang Development Zone, also known as the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone, said on Wednesday it aimed to establish a nationally leading AI industry ecosystem valued at 80 billion yuan (US$11 billion) by the end of this year, according to a plan shared on its official WeChat account. The ecosystem would rely only on Chinese semiconductors, operating systems and open-source software frameworks to ensure self-sufficiency and control, policymakers said. A key focus would be to 'accelerate research and development for high-performance graphics processing units' and support the development of chips based on the RISC-V architecture. RISC-V stands for the fifth generation of the Reduced Instruction Set Computer, a design philosophy for simplified architectures for central processing units. While not nearly as widely used as Intel's x86 or Arm's platforms, RISC-V has been gaining traction because of its open-source code base, especially in mainland China. The new plan also includes up to 10mil yuan in funding support for groundbreaking innovation in areas such as quantum computing, optical computing and biological intelligence. The initiative highlights Beijing's commitment to developing domestic chips for AI training and reducing dependence on foreign technology, especially in light of the tightening export restrictions imposed by the US. Those curbs limit China's access to a range of chips from US manufacturers, including Nvidia, whose products are highly sought after for AI training and operations. The Yizhuang Development Zone also plans to continue investing in computing resources by establishing two high-performance AI server clusters, each consisting of tens of thousands of chips, to support a variety of multimodal, video and 3D generative AI models. According to the plan, up to 20 million yuan in computing subsidies and 1 million yuan in funding will be allocated to data centres and AI start-ups. It forms part of China's broader 'AI Plus' action plan, aimed at fostering the development and real-world application of AI across traditional sectors. Under 'AI Plus', the technology will be integrated into personal computers, smartphones and other consumer electronics. It will also be implemented in other fields, including medical and pharmaceutical research, embodied intelligence for humanoids and other robots, smart manufacturing and autonomous driving, according to Beijing authorities. – South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
28-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Alibaba's research arm launches new RISC-V processor for high-performance computing
Damo Academy, Alibaba Group Holding 's research arm, has launched its first server-grade central processing unit (CPU), marking a significant step in the tech giant's efforts to boost its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and counter US chip restrictions. Advertisement The new chip, called C930, is the latest addition to Alibaba's XuanTie RISC-V processor series. Designed for server-level, high-performance computing, the C930 will begin shipping to clients in March, Damo announced at a conference in Beijing on Friday. The latest product, which is based on the open-source RISC-V architecture, highlights Alibaba's efforts in recent years to contribute to China's chip self-sufficiency drive. The Hangzhou-based company has been building an ecosystem around RISC-V amid heightened US export controls on advanced chips. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. A signboard for Alibaba research arm Damo Academy pictured at an exhibition. Photo: Weibo The name RISC-V refers to the fifth generation of the Reduced Instruction Set Computer, a design philosophy for simplified architectures for CPUs. As an open-source project, it is free for anyone to use and modify, unlike competing standards such as Intel's x86, a complex instruction set that dominates personal computers, and Arm's eponymous proprietary RISC-inspired architecture, which dominates the smartphone market. Damo has previously launched several XuanTie processors based on RISC-V, including the C910 in 2019 and the C920 last year. At the Friday event, the academy emphasised its role in advancing RISC-V adoption in various high-end fields, noting that the XuanTie team has supported the implementation of more than 30 per cent of RISC-V high-performance processors. Damo also announced a development plan for new chips under the XuanTie series, including the C908X, R908A, and XL200. These chips are intended for scenarios including AI acceleration, automotive applications and high-speed interconnection, respectively. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
27-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong embraces RISC-V open-source chip design to secure spot in China semiconductors
Hong Kong is betting on the RISC-V open-source chip architecture to drive innovation and secure a position in China's semiconductor landscape amid escalating US chip restrictions. Advertisement The city, which is planning to host the International Young Scientist Forum on Artificial Intelligence , is promoting research in AI and open-source technology, particularly RISC-V, Finance Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said in his 2025 budget address on Wednesday. RISC-V stands for the fifth generation of the Reduced Instruction Set Computer, a design philosophy for simplified architectures for central processing units (CPUs). As an open-source project, it is free for anyone to use and modify, unlike competing standards such as Intel's x86, a complex instruction set that dominates personal computers, and Arm's eponymous proprietary RISC-inspired architecture, which dominates the smartphone market. First developed in 2010 by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, RISC-V is now managed by RISC-V International, a Zurich-based non-profit organisation. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po delivers the Budget 2025-26 speech in the Legco chamber on February 26. Photo: Elson Li While not nearly as widely used as x86 or Arm, RISC-V has been rapidly gaining traction because of its open-source code base. This has been especially true in mainland China, where the government and businesses hope it can reduce reliance on foreign proprietary technology amid an intense tech war with the US. Advertisement Last month, a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), a top government research organisation, announced that it would deliver its RISC-V-based XiangShan CPU this year. The team said earlier this month it had adapted XiangShan to support DeepSeek-R1, the popular open-source reasoning large language model developed by Hangzhou-based AI start-up DeepSeek.
