SoftBank and Intel Collaborate on Low-Power AI Chip Development

SoftBank and Intel have joined forces to develop a new type of energy-efficient AI memory chip, which could potentially halve power consumption compared to current models. According to a report by Nikkei Asia, the collaboration aims to design a new stacked DRAM chip that differs from the popular high-bandwidth memory (HBM) currently on the market. The new chip is expected to reduce power usage by approximately 50%. The development of this innovative technology is being handled by Saimemory, a newly established company dedicated to chip design and patent management. While Saimemory will focus on the design and intellectual property aspects, the manufacturing process will be outsourced to specialized fabrication facilities. The company plans to complete the prototype within two years and then evaluate whether to proceed with mass production. The commercialization target is set for the 2020s, with an estimated investment of 100 billion yen (approximately 5 billion yuan). In this partnership, SoftBank is the primary investor, contributing 30 billion yen (about 1.5 billion yuan). Other potential stakeholders include Japan's RIKEN Institute and Shinko Electric Industries, which may participate through funding or technical expertise. The project team also intends to seek government support to further advance the research and development of this new storage solution. SoftBank envisions the novel memory chip being widely adopted in its AI training data centers. As AI technology continues to penetrate higher-level applications such as business management, the demand for efficient and high-performance data processing capabilities is growing. This new memory chip has the potential to significantly lower the cost of building high-quality data centers, thereby better meeting the rising market needs. This breakthrough in memory technology is not only expected to open up new opportunities for the AI industry but also to contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing energy consumption. With the rapid advancement of AI, the collaboration between SoftBank and Intel could have far-reaching implications across the entire tech sector. Key points: - SoftBank and Intel are collaborating to develop a new AI memory chip that reduces power consumption by about 50%. - The chip will feature a unique stacked DRAM design, different from existing high-bandwidth memory (HBM). - The project is estimated to invest 100 billion yen, with SoftBank as the main investor. - Commercialization is targeted for the 2020s. - The new chip aims to support high-quality AI data centers at a lower cost, meeting increasing market demands and promoting energy efficiency.