Alibaba launches AI-based Chip for Cloud Computing

Alibaba Group, Chinese retail, and internet company, recently revealed Hanguang 800, which is an AI-based chip for advanced computing capability on the cloud, Reuters reported earlier.

The chip accelerates machine learning tasks and will be available to Alibaba Cloud customers, the report notes.

The company has currently deployed the Hanguang 800 AI Chipset for its business operations and claims that the chip aids product search and automatic translation on eCommerce sites. It also optimizes the shopping experience by powering personalized recommendations, intelligent and advertising customer service with high computational efficiency.

Executive Opinion

Reuters report quoted a statement by Chief technology officer, Alibaba Group and president, Jeff Zhang, as, "The launch of Hanguang 800 is an important step in our pursuit of next-generation technologies, boosting computing capabilities that will drive both our current and emerging businesses while improving energy efficiency."

Alibaba Cloud and AI-Chip

Alibaba Cloud is a dominant player in the public cloud market in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the report revealed by the Gartner. It was also the global number three in the infrastructure as a service and infrastructure utility services market in the first quarter of 2019.

The chip design for the cloud and edge computing was developed in house by the Alibaba research unit called by the name as T-Head and Alibaba DAMO Academy. The announcement was made at its Annual Apsara Computing Conference.

Global cloud companies which include Microsoft and Amazon, as well as others like the Apple and Facebook, have been working on chip design to reduce the reliance on vendors and thus cut costs.

In February, Google had hired the microchip engineers in Bangalore in a push to develop computer server chips for its data centers.

Alibaba company spokesperson also stated that Alibaba has no immediate plans to sell the chip as a standalone commercial product, the report notes.