Liang Wenfeng: Training on Huawei chips a key bet for DeepSeek; Huawei to ship chips by Q4‑2026 or Q1‑2027
chips deepseek training
| Source: Techmeme | Original article
DeepSeek plans to train AI models on Huawei’s upcoming training chips, slated for delivery in Q4 2026 or Q1 2027.
DeepSeek, the Hangzhou‑based AI lab that made headlines in the West earlier this year, is pivoting its hardware strategy toward domestic silicon. In an investor briefing, CEO Liang Wenfeng said that training on Huawei’s upcoming AI chips is “one of DeepSeek’s biggest strategic bets,” with Huawei slated to start delivering the chips in the fourth quarter of 2026 or the first quarter of 2027.
The move marks a clear shift from DeepSeek’s previous reliance on Nvidia GPUs. After an earlier attempt to train models on Huawei’s Ascend 910C hardware faltered, the company is now betting that the next generation of Huawei training chips will provide the performance and supply security it needs. Liang framed the switch as a response to “compute scarcity” and a way to deepen the use of domestic chips.
Why it matters is twofold. First, it signals a growing willingness among Chinese AI firms to diversify away from the US‑dominated GPU market, a trend accelerated by export controls and geopolitical pressure. Second, a successful Huawei‑DeepSeek partnership could boost the credibility of China’s AI‑chip ecosystem, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape for both hardware vendors and model developers.
Observers will watch whether Huawei meets its delivery timeline and how the new chips perform in real‑world training runs. The next milestones include DeepSeek’s rollout of models trained on the Huawei silicon and any impact on Nvidia’s market share in China. The broader AI community will also be keen to see if other firms follow suit, turning the Huawei chip rollout into a catalyst for a wider shift toward home‑grown compute platforms.
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