(Jan 14): Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up Knowledge Atlas Technology JSC Ltd released a new multimodal model that it says is the country’s first to be fully trained using domestic chips, in a sign of progress towards meeting Beijing’s goal of reducing reliance on American technology.
The company, also known as Zhipu, said on Wednesday in a statement that its open-source image generation model, GLM-Image, is the first state-of-the-art multimodal model to complete training using Huawei Technologies Co’s Ascend chips.
Zhipu’s model was based on Huawei’s Ascend Atlas 800T A2 server and MindSpore framework, according to the statement. The server carries Huawei’s Kunpeng-branded processors and Ascend-branded AI chips.
“This proves the feasibility of training high-performance multimodal generative models on a domestically developed full-stack computing platform,” Zhipu said.
Zhipu’s announcement is a significant milestone for Huawei as no other major AI firms in China have publicly advertised success in training their models on domestic chips. Last May, Huawei said it trained its Pangu Pro MoE model on Ascend chips.
After it was placed on a US blacklist last year, Beijing-based Zhipu has been ramping up its efforts to work with domestic chipmakers including Cambricon Technologies Corp to adapt and develop models.
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Zhipu’s move aligns with Beijing’s policy to cut dependence on foreign expertise in light of the years-long campaign by the US and its allies to limit China’s access to advanced technologies from the West. Hours before the Beijing firm touted its partnership with Huawei on Wednesday, the US moved closer to allowing Nvidia Corp to sell its H200 AI chips to China by issuing revised criteria for winning Washington’s approval to ship the processors to Chinese buyers.
Last Thursday, Zhipu became the first of China’s major AI start-ups to go public. Since then, its shares have jumped more than 80% as investors pile in on enthusiasm about China’s AI industry.
Beijing has extended support to the development, production and adoption of home-grown AI chips in the face of US restrictions on sales of the most advanced semiconductors, notably those produced by Nvidia to China.
See also: US clears path for Nvidia to sell H200 AI chips to China via new rule
Huawei, the nation’s top AI chipmaker, is preparing to sharply ramp up production of its most advanced semiconductors this year, while Cambricon is preparing to more than triple its production of AI chips in 2026.
Uploaded by Tham Yek Lee
