Alibaba and China Telecom have launched a new data centre in southern China that operates on 10,000 Zhenwu AI chips developed by Alibaba.
This facility, situated in Shaoguan, Guangdong province, is engineered to manage AI models comprising hundreds of billions of parameters, underscoring China’s increasing emphasis on indigenous technology.
Alibaba’s Zhenwu chips are specifically designed for AI training and inference, forming a crucial part of the company’s broader strategy to establish self-sufficient semiconductor manufacturing capabilities.
The restrictions imposed by the US on AI chip exports have expedited China’s pursuit of domestic alternatives, particularly following the ban on Nvidia products three years ago.
The data centre is set to commence operations with 10,000 chips, with aspirations to expand to 100,000 chips in future developments.
Alibaba manufactures chips through its T-head division and at the same time, building data centres and developing AI models, which are marketed through its cloud computing services.
The company regards cloud computing as its second fastest-growing business segment, intending to use the Shaoguan facility to support applications in healthcare, advanced materials, and other fields.
Drone soccer goes viral in China
Drone soccer, a sport that combines aviation technology with soccer-like competition, is rapidly gaining popularity in China.
This trend was prominently highlighted at the recent Ablefly National Drone Soccer Championship Finals, held in Chengdu, situated in the southwestern Sichuan province of China, which saw participation from 1,116 teams, both local and international.
Inside the enclosed arena, players skillfully controlled round drones with handheld controllers, maneuvering them through the air in swift offensive and defensive actions, while spectators watched with excitement as the buzzing drones carved dynamic trajectories across the field.
Read more: Drone soccer kicks off in China
