DeepSeek and Huawei team up on next‑gen AI chips; DeepSeek to deploy Ascend 950DT for pre‑training by end of 2026
chips deepseek training
| Source: Techmeme | Original article
DeepSeek is partnering with Huawei to design next‑generation AI chips and aims to begin pre‑training on Huawei’s Ascend 950DT by the end of 2026.
DeepSeek is deepening its ties with Huawei Technologies, moving from a large‑scale chip purchase to joint development of the next generation of AI processors. Two sources told The Information that the two firms are working “closely” on the architecture of future Huawei chips, and that DeepSeek intends to begin pre‑training its models on Huawei’s Ascend 950DT accelerator by the end of 2026.
The partnership builds on DeepSeek’s September‑4 announcement of a 160,000‑chip order for a new data centre in Inner Mongolia, a move aimed at reducing reliance on Nvidia silicon amid tightening U.S. export controls. The Ascend 950DT, slated for early‑2027 rollout, follows the recently delayed Ascend 960DT launch and will be the first Huawei processor used for large‑scale model training rather than just inference. DeepSeek is already training a 2‑trillion‑parameter model and eyes an 8‑trillion‑parameter system, workloads that demand massive compute capacity.
Why it matters is twofold. First, the collaboration signals a concerted effort by Chinese AI firms to build a domestic hardware ecosystem capable of rivaling Western suppliers, potentially reshaping the global AI supply chain. Second, it underscores the strategic importance of chip design in the race to scale ever larger models, a factor that could influence policy decisions in jurisdictions that have recently restricted DeepSeek’s technology, such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s October‑19 ban on its products.
What to watch next are the technical specifications of the co‑designed chips and the timeline for their deployment in DeepSeek’s training pipelines. Equally important will be any regulatory response from Western governments and whether other Chinese AI players follow DeepSeek’s lead in co‑developing home‑grown silicon. The outcome could set the pace for China’s broader ambition to replace imported AI hardware with indigenous solutions.
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