Google preparing to partner with Taiwan's MediaTek for next-generation AI chips
It has been reported that Taiwan's MediaTek will be responsible for the development of the next generation of Google's Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), a machine learning chip. The reason for this is that MediaTek is a Taiwanese company with strong ties to other semiconductor companies such as TSMC, which allows them to offer low prices.
Google Taps MediaTek for Cheaper AI Chips — The Information
Google to get surprising new partner to help design its seventh-gen AI chip - PhoneArena
https://www.phonearena.com/news/google-has-a-great-reason-to-partner-with-mediatek_id168572
TPUs are the units used to train and run the machine learning models that power Google's core products, including Google Search, Gmail, Google Translate, Google Photos, YouTube, and cloud APIs.
Google is known to have had a long-standing partnership with American company Broadcom to design and develop the TPU, which provided Google with key technology such as the SerDes interface that allows the chip to communicate with the outside world, and helped companies like TSMC to shape the TPU so that it could actually be manufactured.
According to a report from The Information, Google is preparing to partner with Taiwan's MediaTek as a new partner for TPU development, but it does not mean that Google will cut ties with Broadcom.
The reason why Google is choosing MediaTek is because of its good relationship with TSMC, the world's largest semiconductor foundry, and according to The Information, the price that MediaTek will charge Google will be lower than Broadcom's.
MediaTek is already known for backing major semiconductor companies, including reportedly working with NVIDIA to develop Arm processors.
In a similar report in 2023, Broadcom said, 'We supply chips for Google's mobile phones, as well as chips for its data centers and cloud services. At the same time, we are one of Google Cloud's largest customers for its cloud products. This two-way relationship has created a special bond,' indicating that the relationship would continue.
Originally, TPUs were designed to reduce reliance on NVIDIA GPUs, which are widely used to train AI models. As a result, Google is building an environment that is less dependent on NVIDIA than other major AI companies. Google said, 'There is no change in our relationship with Broadcom,' and 'We have long-standing, productive relationships with Broadcom and several other suppliers. Our efforts to meet our internal and external needs benefit from our collaboration with Broadcom.'
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in Hardware, Posted by log1p_kr