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Alibaba jumps on AI spending boost
Youtube· 2025-09-24 15:26
Company Investment and Strategy - Alibaba is set to invest over $53 billion into its AI business over the next three years, focusing on building new AI models, infrastructure, and a large language model [2][3] - The investment comes at a time when Chinese tech giants are expected to spend more than $32 billion on AI in the next year, which is more than double the spending levels of 2023 [2] Market Reaction and Political Context - Alibaba's announcement has significant political implications, as it reflects confidence in China's ability to compete in advanced AI, highlighted by a recent tour of Alibaba's facilities by China's premier [3][4] - Following the announcement, Alibaba's shares jumped over 8%, reaching their highest level in four years, indicating strong global investor interest in AI [4] Competitive Landscape - Despite the investment in AI, Alibaba will continue to utilize Nvidia's developmental tools in its cloud software and integrate them into its robotics and self-driving car initiatives [3] - Chinese technology firms, including Alibaba, are reportedly outperforming Nvidia's H20 chip on various metrics, showcasing advancements in domestic chip design [3][7] Industry Dynamics - The competitive landscape suggests that Chinese firms are progressing in AI and chip design without relying heavily on US technology, raising questions about the future of US-China tech relations [8][10] - The discussion around the efficiency of Chinese computing capabilities indicates that while they may not be more efficient, they can still achieve comparable performance through the use of multiple lower-quality chips [10][11]
Wall Street Breakfast Podcast: Jimmy Kimmel Pulled From Airwaves
Seeking Alpha· 2025-09-18 10:46
Group 1: Media and Entertainment - ABC Network has suspended "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" indefinitely due to backlash over Kimmel's remarks about the killing of Republican activist Charlie Kirk, with Nexstar Media Group stating the remarks were "offensive and insensitive" [3] - President Trump expressed approval of the suspension on Truth Social, suggesting that NBC should also remove Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers from their programming [4] - Sinclair, the largest owner of ABC affiliates, confirmed it will keep Kimmel's program off the air [5] Group 2: Technology and AI - Huawei Technologies announced a new AI chip roadmap, planning to release four Ascend chips by 2028, aiming to challenge Nvidia's dominance in AI infrastructure [5][6] - The first chip, Ascend 950PR, is set to launch early next year, followed by Ascend 950DT in late 2026, Ascend 960 in late 2027, and Ascend 970 in late 2028 [6] - The Cyberspace Administration of China has banned major tech companies from purchasing Nvidia's AI chips, further positioning Huawei's new technology as a competitive alternative [6][7] Group 3: Food and Beverage - Krispy Kreme experienced a volatile trading day, ending with a 1.0% gain after FBI Director Kash Patel referred to it as a "good investment opportunity" during a House Judiciary Committee hearing [8] - The stock saw an increase of up to 8% during the day, with trading volume 50% above normal [9] - Patel had previously disclosed purchasing between $15,000 and $50,000 in Krispy Kreme shares, contributing to the stock's recent activity [9]
Cold shoulder: Why Beijing is freezing Nvidia's access to the Chinese market
CNBC· 2025-09-18 10:23
Core Viewpoint - China's recent decision to halt purchases of Nvidia's AI chips reflects its growing confidence in domestic chip manufacturers and serves as a strategic move to gain leverage in trade negotiations with the U.S. [1][4][13] Group 1: Regulatory Actions - Chinese regulators have mandated tech firms to stop purchasing Nvidia's H20 chips pending a national security review, which has now expanded to include the RTX Pro 6000D chip, effectively barring Nvidia from selling any products to Chinese customers [3][4] - The preliminary investigation into Nvidia has indicated potential violations of China's anti-monopoly laws, further complicating the company's market position in China [4][5] Group 2: Domestic Chip Development - Chinese AI companies are being encouraged to explore domestic alternatives to Nvidia chips, with reports suggesting that local chipmakers are aiming to triple the output of AI processors next year [6][9] - Huawei has announced new AI compute infrastructure using its in-house Ascend chips, claiming superior performance metrics compared to Nvidia's systems, despite the Ascend chips delivering only one-third the performance of Nvidia processors [10] Group 3: Market Dynamics and Future Outlook - Analysts suggest that while China is becoming more self-sufficient in AI chip production, challenges remain in terms of production capacity and the ability to meet demand without Nvidia's offerings [8][12] - The halt in Nvidia chip purchases may be part of a broader negotiation strategy by China to leverage access to its market in discussions with the U.S. regarding tariffs and technology access [14][16]
Where is Nvidia? Chinese rivals take the limelight at major AI event in Shanghai
CNBC· 2025-07-28 08:53
Core Insights - Huawei showcased its Ascend chips and AI system at the World AI Conference in Shanghai, highlighting its competitive position in the AI chip market [1][4] - Nvidia, despite previous hopes of re-entering the Chinese market with its H20 chips, did not participate in the conference, indicating potential challenges in its relationship with China [2][3] Group 1: Huawei's Developments - Huawei presented its new computing system, the "Atlas 900 A3 SuperPoD," which connects 384 Ascend chips for AI model training [4] - The Ascend chips, while individually less powerful than Nvidia's Blackwell chips, compensate by utilizing five times more chips in their system compared to Nvidia's GB200 [4] Group 2: Competitive Landscape - Nvidia's absence at the conference contrasts with Huawei's prominent display, emphasizing the latter's growing influence in the Chinese AI market [2][3] - Other Chinese companies, such as Moore Threads and Yunsilicon, also participated in the AI expo, indicating a competitive environment in the semiconductor industry [5]