Top China silicon figure calls on country to stop using Nvidia GPUs for AI — says current AI development model could become 'lethal' if not addressed

Wei Shaojun, a top figure in China's semiconductor industry, has urged China and other Asian countries to move away from using Nvidia GPUs for AI, citing long-term risks and the need for regional autonomy. He criticized the current AI development model in Asia for closely following the U.S. path of using Nvidia or AMD GPUs for training large language models, limiting innovation and posing potential dangers. Despite hardware bottlenecks caused by U.S. restrictions, Wei highlighted Chinese advancements in algorithmic development, emphasizing the need for a shift towards domestic innovation in processor design for AI. While acknowledging China's semiconductor industry lag behind the U.S. and Taiwan, Wei emphasized the importance of developing unique solutions tailored to China's strategic needs to lead in AI technology.