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Qualcomm announces new data center AI chips to target AI inference
Youtubeยท 2025-10-27 14:25
Core Viewpoint - Qualcomm is pivoting towards AI chips, specifically targeting the inference market, with plans to launch new data center AI chips in 2026 and has announced its first major customer, a Saudi-backed AI startup called Humane [1][6]. Group 1: Market Opportunity - Qualcomm aims to capture a portion of the nearly $6 trillion to $7 trillion expected in data center spending through 2030, with even a 5% market share potentially transforming its business [3]. - The company believes the inference market, which involves running AI models, will be enormous, as it is utilized billions of times daily [2]. Group 2: Product Offering - Qualcomm's new products will include complete server systems based on their hexagon neural processing unit (NPU) chips, which are already used in billions of smartphones globally [4]. - The NPU chips will feature 768 gigabytes of memory per card, surpassing the offerings from Nvidia and AMD in similar rack settings, which is crucial for running larger AI models [4][5]. Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Qualcomm's entry into the AI chip market comes as major players like Nvidia and AMD dominate, but there is a growing demand for alternatives, particularly in the inference market [6]. - The company has indicated that even competitors like Nvidia and AMD could become customers for some of its components, highlighting the potential for collaboration despite competition [6]. Group 4: Cost Efficiency - Qualcomm emphasizes that its chips will offer a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) due to their power efficiency compared to traditional GPUs, which consume significantly more power [9]. - The company has not yet provided specific pricing details but aims to position its products as more cost-effective solutions for hyperscalers [8][9].