© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A smartphone with the NVIDIA logo placed on the motherboard of a computer in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
(Reuters) – Nvidia (NASDAQ unveiled its next big ai chip along with several partnerships and software tools at its annual developers conference this week, looking to maintain its lead in the race to fuel the rise of artificial intelligence.
These are the key takeaways from the event:
BLACKWELL TOKENS
The B200 “Blackwell” ai chip is 30 times faster than its predecessor, the Hopper series, at tasks including helping chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's (NASDAQ:) Gemini deliver responses.
The chip can run large language models and use 25 times less power and money than the popular Hopper series that helped turn Nvidia into a $2 trillion company.
The new processor combines two squares of silicon the size of the company's previous offering.
The chips are expected to hit the market later in 2024, according to CFO Colette Kress.
Nvidia is working with chipmaker TSMC to avoid delays in chip packaging, CEO Jensen Huang said.
Huang said in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday that the new chip will be priced between $30,000 and $40,000.
SOFTWARE TOOLS
The company introduced new software tools aimed at making it easier for companies to incorporate artificial intelligence systems into their work.
The tools include cloud-based Nvidia Inference Microservices (NIM), which companies can use to build and deploy custom applications on their own platforms while retaining full ownership and control of their intellectual property.
ASSOCIATIONS
Nvidia and Oracle (NYSE said they had expanded their collaboration to help government and businesses run “ai factories” on on-premise cloud services.
The chip designer also said that chip and engineering software makers Ansys (NASDAQ , Cadence and Synopsys (NASDAQ ) will use processors based on the Blackwell platform to power their design and simulation software.
DRIVE CAR CHIPS
The company also deepened its already extensive relationships with Chinese automakers, saying that electric vehicle maker BYD (SZ:) will use its next generation of vehicle chips, called Drive Thor.
Xpeng (NYSE:) and GAC Aion's Hyper brand are also among several automakers and autonomous truck developers that announced expanded collaborations with Nvidia at the conference.
