Microsoft aims to reduce the high cost of delivering AI services by using these chips, which are optimized for AI models. The company also plans to offer Azure customers cloud services running on the latest chips from Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices next year. Both chips are made with 5-nanometer manufacturing technology from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
Key takeaways:
- Microsoft has announced the development of two custom-designed computing chips, Maia and Cobalt, to power its own subscription software offerings and Azure cloud computing service.
- The Maia chip is designed to speed up AI computing tasks and underpin Microsoft's Azure OpenAI service, while the Cobalt chip is a CPU made with technology from Arm Holdings and is being tested to power Microsoft's business messaging tool, Teams.
- Microsoft plans to offer Azure customers cloud services that run on the newest flagship chips from Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices next year.
- Microsoft also intends to sell direct access to the Cobalt chip to compete with Amazon's in-house Graviton series of chips.