Alibaba Group Holding Limited, one of China’s largest technology companies, has taken a significant step forward in the semiconductor industry with the unveiling of its first AI chip, the NPU HGH800, at the ongoing Cloud Computing Conference in Hangzhou. This marks a pivotal moment for the company as it continues to expand its technological portfolio and reinforce its position in the global tech scene.
The Birth of HGH800
The HGH800, named after one of the three mythical swords from ancient times, symbolizes the company’s ambition to shine without dazzling. According to Alibaba, the chip boasts the highest performance for AI inference, with a peak efficiency of 500 ips/w and a peak performance of 78563 IPS. The chip is built on Alibaba’s self-developed architecture and incorporates algorithms from the company’s research arm, the DAMO Academy, supporting mainstream open-source frameworks like TensorFlow and offering multi-modal dynamic deployment.
In a performance test using the Res-Net50 model, the HGH800 demonstrated both the highest performance and efficiency, outperforming its competitors by a significant margin. A single HGH800 chip is equivalent to the computing power of 10 GPUs, a testament to its advanced capabilities.
A Milestone for Alibaba
Zhang Jianfeng, Alibaba’s Chief Technology Officer and President of阿里 Cloud Intelligence, highlighted the importance of this achievement. This is the first official chip to be taped out by PingTouGe, and it’s the first chip developed by an internet company, he said. This is just the first step in a long march.
Alibaba’s foray into chip-making began with the acquisition of Zhipu AI, which was later integrated with the DAMO Academy’s chip business. Last year, the company announced the establishment of an independent semiconductor company, PingTouGe Semiconductor Limited, signaling its entry into the chip industry. This July, PingTouGe released the XuanTie 910 processor, followed by the WuJian chip design platform.
Cloud and Edge Integration
The HGH800 is set to play a crucial role in Alibaba’s digital economy empire. Already supporting the company’s own applications, such as the visual algorithms used in Paipai Tao and Alibaba’s City Brain, the chip can process 78,000 photos per second in image processing tasks. Now, the HGH800 will be made available to developers and customers through Alibaba’s platform, with AI cloud services based on the chip already available on阿里 Cloud.
The concept of cloud-edge integration is central to PingTouGe’s strategy. This approach not only considers the computing power at the edge but also the capabilities of the cloud, with both layers evolving together. This is particularly important for AI chips, which require frequent interaction with the cloud and need support from the chip’s底层 architecture to the operating system.
A New Chapter for Alibaba
The absence of Jack Ma at this year’s Cloud Computing Conference, which marks the first time the event has been held without him, does not diminish the significance of Alibaba’s latest achievement. The conference, themed Digital Intelligence, has seen discussions on AI, 5G, IoT, quantum computing, and financial technology, indicating the company’s focus on foundational science and innovative technologies for the next 20 years.
Alibaba’s DAMO Academy has also shown its commitment to nurturing young talent through the QingCheng Award, which recognizes young scientists. This focus on innovation and technology is a clear sign that Alibaba is preparing to expand its technological footprint and attract new forces of technological innovation.
The HGH800 chip not only serves as a bridge between digital and intelligence at this year’s conference but also opens a new chapter for Alibaba’s technological evolution. As the company celebrates its 20th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the Cloud Computing Conference, it is clear that the absence of Jack Ma is not indicative of a decline but rather a transition to a new era of technological leadership.
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