Huawei Technologies is set to begin mass shipments of its advanced 910C artificial intelligence (AI) chip to Chinese customers as early as next month, sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters. Some initial shipments have already been made. The 910C is a significant step for Huawei, representing an architectural innovation rather than a revolutionary breakthrough. By integrating two 910B processors into a single package, the 910C doubles the computing power and memory capacity of its predecessor. Additionally, it offers enhanced support for a variety of AI workloads, making it a robust alternative to leading chips on the market. This month, the U.S. administration notified Nvidia that sales of the H20 chip would require an export license. The move is part of broader efforts to restrict China's access to advanced AI technology, especially for military applications. For instance, Washington banned the sale of Nvidia's H100 chip in China in 2022, even before its official launch. As a result, Huawei and other Chinese GPU startups, such as Moore Threads and Iluvatar CoreX, are stepping in to fill the gap left by Nvidia's absence. "Washington's latest export curbs on Nvidia's H20 will likely mean that Huawei's Ascend 910C GPU will become the hardware of choice for Chinese AI model developers and for deploying inference capacity," said Paul Triolo, a partner at consulting firm Albright Stonebridge Group. Late last year, Huawei began distributing samples of the 910C to several technology companies and started accepting orders. However, Reuters has not been able to verify which specific firms will be the primary manufacturers of the 910C. The U.S. Department of Commerce has been investigating the work of Taiwanese contract chip manufacturer TSMC, after one of its chips was found in a 910B processor supplied by Sophgo, a Chinese chipmaker. According to Lennart Heim, a researcher at RAND's Technology and Security and Policy Center, TSMC has produced nearly three million chips that match Sophgo's design in recent years. Huawei has reaffirmed that it has not used TSMC-manufactured Sophgo chips, and TSMC stated that it complies with all regulatory requirements and has not supplied chips to Huawei since mid-September 2020. Sophgo has not yet responded to requests for comment. The 910C's entry into the market highlights China's growing determination to develop and control its own AI hardware, especially in the face of stringent U.S. export restrictions. These chips are expected to play a crucial role in advancing China's AI capabilities, supporting both development and deployment of AI models. As China continues to navigate these technological trade barriers, the competition between domestic chipmakers and their international counterparts is becoming increasingly intense. Huawei's move to mass-produce the 910C not only underscores its technical capabilities but also its strategic response to U.S. policies aimed at curbing China's technological advancement.