Reuters: Reports say DeepSeek is developing its own AI inference chip

According to reports, three informed sources revealed that the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is developing its own AI chip. This chip is primarily designed for the inference stage of AI computing, rather than for training new models. This move aims to reduce the company's reliance on chips from Nvidia and Huawei.

The report noted that the chip development plan began about a year ago and is still in the early stages. DeepSeek is discussing with external partners such as chip design firms, foundries, and storage companies, and has increased its recruitment of chip design engineers through private channels in recent months. Additionally, following the news, Nvidia's pre-market stock price fell slightly by about 1.6%.

Analysts believe that if the development is successful, it will mark a significant strategic shift for DeepSeek, aligning with the global trend of leading AI developers seeking hardware autonomy, and may also pose a challenge to Huawei's position in the domestic AI chip market. However, the project still faces challenges such as long design cycles, high funding requirements, and manufacturing barriers like U.S. export restrictions on advanced processes and high-bandwidth memory (HBM). This chip development initiative also aligns with recent reports about DeepSeek's plan to raise $7 billion in its first round of financing.