Nvidia to step up its AI dominance with next-generation chips

Nvidia has been the main beneficiary of a flood of AI spending, helping turn it into the world’s most valuable chipmaker

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang expects an even larger swathe of organisations from shipbuilders to drug developers, will embrace AI. Picture: Chiang Ying-ying/AP

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has said the company plans to upgrade its artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators every year, announcing a Blackwell Ultra chip for next year and a next-generation platform in development called Rubin, for 2026.

The company — now best known for its artificial intelligence data centre systems — also introduced new tools and software models on the eve of the Computex trade show in Taiwan. 

Nvidia sees the rise of generative AI as a new industrial revolution and expects to play a major role as the technology shifts to personal computers, the chief executive said in a keynote address at National Taiwan University.

Flood of AI spending has benefited Nvidia

Nvidia has been the main beneficiary of a massive flood of AI spending, helping turn the company into the world’s most valuable chipmaker. However, it now looks to broaden its customer base beyond the handful of cloud-computing giants that generate much of its sales. 

As part of the expansion, Mr Huang expects a larger swathe of companies and government agencies to embrace AI — everyone from shipbuilders to drug developers. 

He returned to themes he set out a year ago at the same venue, including the idea that those without AI capabilities will be left behind.

“We are seeing computation inflation,” Mr Huang said. 

He added that, as the amount of data that needs to be processed grows exponentially, traditional computing methods cannot keep up and it is only through Nvidia’s style of accelerated computing that it can cut back the costs.

'Nvidia offers cost and energy savings' 

He touted 98% cost savings and 97% less energy required with Nvidia’s technology, saying constituted “CEO math, which is not accurate, but it is correct”.

Nvidia got its start selling gaming cards for desktop PCs, and that background is coming into play as computer makers push to add more AI functions to their machines.

Microsoft and its hardware partners are using Computex to show off new laptops with AI enhancements under the branding of Copilot+. 

The majority of those devices coming to market are based on a new type of processor that will enable them to go longer on one battery charge, provided by Nvidia rival Qualcomm which has a presence in Ireland.

• Bloomberg