NVIDIA appears to be diving into the realm of “custom chip” creation, as reports surface about the company recruiting a team of Taiwanese engineers to explore this promising area.
The buzz is that NVIDIA is embarking on ASIC production with its new R&D center in Taiwan, leveraging the skills of local talent. The tech giant is known for its strides in crafting customized chips, especially in the era where numerous tech firms are keen on having AI systems tailored to their distinct requirements. Currently, NVIDIA offers open-architecture AI solutions like the Blackwell and Hopper lineups. However, when it comes to building bespoke solutions for its clientele, they’re still on that journey. According to ChinaTimes, NVIDIA’s newly proposed Taiwan R&D center aims to concentrate on ASIC solutions, and they’ve started hiring an impressive number of skilled local engineers.
Delving deeper, the report suggests that NVIDIA might set up ASIC production lines down the road, though their immediate focus is on strengthening their workforce. Eager to snap up top-tier Taiwanese talent and deter them from joining competitors, NVIDIA has ramped up its hiring engagements. It’s a competitive landscape, with major IC design companies like MediaTek also vying for top employees, hence NVIDIA’s aggressive push to secure local expertise.
Companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple are already in the race to create their custom AI chips, aiming to minimize their dependence on NVIDIA and ensure their solutions are tailored to specific demands. This has evidently nudged NVIDIA to invest in the custom chip segment, and given its strong reputation among ASIC manufacturers in Taiwan, the company is poised to make significant strides in this niche market.
Furthermore, rumors are swirling that NVIDIA is collaborating with MediaTek to develop custom chips for the AI PC sector, meaning the benefits of Team Green’s pursuits could spread beyond just the AI field. With their experience from developing the Tegra SoC for the Nintendo Switch, they’re no strangers to this terrain. Custom AI chips could very well be the next frontier in computing, allowing NVIDIA to keep companies from pursuing their in-house chip designs.
