Design flaw in Nvidia’s next-gen AI chip could delay its release


Tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta, and Google may have to wait for Nvidia’s latest AI chip.

A design flaw could delay the launch of chip giant Nvidia's upcoming artificial intelligence chips by three months or more, according to the tech-focused publication The Information.

It said the setback could affect customers such as Meta Platforms, Alphabet's Google, and Microsoft, which have collectively ordered tens of billions of dollars' worth of chips. The company cited people who help produce chip and server hardware for Nvidia.

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The AI chip company unveiled its Blackwell chip series in March. It’s the successor to its earlier flagship AI chip, the Grace Hopper Superchip, which was designed to speed up generative AI applications.

"As we've stated before, Hopper demand is very strong, broad Blackwell sampling has started, and production is on track to ramp up in the second half," an Nvidia spokesperson said in an emailed statement in response to the report.

Microsoft said it had nothing to add, while Meta and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Information said that Nvidia informed Microsoft and another major cloud service provider this week of a delay in the production of its most advanced AI chip in the Blackwell series, citing a Microsoft employee and another person with knowledge of the matter.