AI Infra Insights: Chips powering the AI boom

By Juan Pedro Tomás April 22, 2025

Collected at: https://www.rcrwireless.com/20250422/chips/ai-infra-insights-chips

As U.S. chips export restrictions tighten, Asia’s semiconductor ecosystem is racing to adapt — with homegrown alternatives, material innovation and policy navigation taking center stage

Chinese vendor Huawei is preparing to mass ship its new 910C AI chip to domestic clients, in what could become a major breakthrough for China’s push toward semiconductor self-reliance, while Taiwanese firm TSMC admits limits to tracking chip end-users amid mounting geopolitical pressure. Meanwhile, Intel is the latest U.S. chipmaker to notify Chinese clients that sales of certain AI processors will now require a license from the U.S. government.

Huawei to mass ship 910C AI chips by May

Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies plans to begin mass shipments of its advanced 910C AI chip to Chinese clients as early as next month, according to Reuters. Initial units have already been dispatched.

The chip is a GPU solution reportedly delivering performance comparable to Nvidia’s H100 by combining two 910B chips using advanced packaging techniques. Nvidia’s previously authorized H20 chip now requires an export license, limiting availability in the Chinese market. Read more

Takeaway: Huawei’s 910C offers China a timely alternative to restricted Nvidia chips, underscoring its accelerating AI hardware ambitions.

Nippon Electric Glass eyes AI chip substrate market

Japanese materials maker Nippon Electric Glass plans to ship larger glass substrates for high-performance AI chips by 2026, according to a Nikkei report. These substrates — 510mm in size, up from today’s 300mm — offer superior heat resistance and flatness over plastic-based alternatives.

The firm is positioning itself as a key enabler of the AI chip boom, with production capacity to expand further if demand from chipmakers materializes. A 600mm version is also in the pipeline for 2028. Read more

Takeaway: Japan’s material suppliers like Nippon Glass are playing strategic roles in AI chipmaking with scalable, heat-resistant substrates.

TSMC acknowledges limits in tracking chip use

Taiwan’s TSMC revealed in its 2025 annual report that it cannot fully guarantee its chips won’t end up in restricted hands — including Huawei. The company cited difficulty in tracking chips once sold to intermediaries, a challenge intensified by the complex semiconductor value chain.

In 2024, TSMC halted shipments after learning some chips reached Huawei via a third party and notified authorities. U.S. regulators have since ramped up enforcement of AI-related export rules. Read more

Takeaway: Even the world’s top foundries are struggling with compliance amid increasingly fragmented global chip trade flows.

Intel joins Nvidia in facing AI chip license hurdles

Intel has informed Chinese customers that some of its AI processors now fall under new U.S. licensing requirements. According to the Financial Times, the restrictions target chips with DRAM bandwidths exceeding 1,400 GB/s or combined I/O + memory bandwidths above 1,700 GB/s. The news follows Nvidia’s $5.5 billion write-down after similar White House restrictions hit its H20 chip. Intel’s Gaudi AI chip and Nvidia’s H20 far exceed the requirements, according to the report. Read more

Takeaway: Washington’s tighter chip rules are reshaping market access for U.S. firms and intensifying the push for Chinese alternatives.

Big Picture

As AI demand skyrockets, chip infrastructure is becoming a geopolitical battleground. China is doubling down on domestic innovation with Huawei’s 910C, while Japan’s Nippon Glass bets on advanced substrates to power future compute needs. TSMC’s compliance struggles and Intel’s new export constraints further highlight the fragility of global supply chains.

What else is powering AI infra today?

Microsoft taps LG Electronics for cooling systems in select AI data centers

Amazon freezes global data center leasing amid strategic shift

Nvidia CEO calls on Japan’s LDP to boost national AI infrastructure

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