DeepSeek shifts smaller AI to Huawei chips

DeepSeek will use Huawei AI chips such as the Ascend series to train smaller AI models, reducing its reliance on Nvidia, while continuing to reserve Nvidia hardware for larger models.

DeepSeek, a leading Chinese AI firm, is transitioning the training of its smaller model variants to Huawei AI chips (including Ascend processors), aiming to lessen its dependency on Nvidia's GPUs.

The company still plans to use Nvidia hardware for training its more powerful R2 reasoning model. This strategic pivot aligns with broader efforts to diversify AI hardware sources amid global supply constraints, as DeepSeek also evaluates chips from Baidu and Cambricon.

This shift suggests growing support for a more domestically-oriented AI infrastructure in China.

DeepSeek