Chinese Firms Seek Huawei AI Chips After DeepSeek V4 Launch
ByteDance and Alibaba are ordering Huawei Ascend 950 chips following the DeepSeek V4 launch. Optimization for domestic hardware is driving increased demand.
Huawei is seeing a surge in orders for its Ascend 950 AI chips from major tech firms following the DeepSeek V4 launch. The 950PR outperforms NVIDIA CORP's H20, the most powerful US chip permitted in China until Beijing blocked its import last year. However, it still trails the American firm's H200, a more advanced processor that has been caught up in regulatory limbo. This demand shift signals a deepening move toward domestic hardware as United States export curbs restrict high-end silicon.
### Why DeepSeek V4 Is Driving Huawei Orders DeepSeek released its V4 model last week, optimizing the software specifically for Huawei's Ascend infrastructure. Reuters reported Monday that Tencent Holdings Ltd, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, and ByteDance are now rushing to secure new chip orders. Three people familiar with the procurement discussions said cloud computing and GPU rental firms are also scrambling for supply.
