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Softbank Chairman Son Jung-eui. (Photo=Reuter Yonhap News) |
[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Minyoung] Son Jeong-ui, chairman of SoftBank Group, who has fully embraced the AI revolution, is now venturing into the realm of designing AI accelerators in-house. Through SoftBank's subsidiary, ARM in the UK, he plans to develop AI semiconductors to replace Nvidia's graphic processing units (GPUs). Known for his agile response during the internet and mobile transition era, Chairman Son is once again placing his bet on AI for another major success.
On the 12th, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, "ARM, headquartered in the UK, aims to establish an AI chip business unit by spring 2025 with the goal of producing trial products, and aims to start mass production in the fall of 2025." The Nikkei added, "ARM is already in negotiations with TSMC regarding manufacturing," and "Once the production system is established, there is a possibility of spinning off the AI chip business unit and integrating it into SoftBank's subsidiaries."
ARM holds the intellectual property (IP) for central processing units (CPUs) mainly used in smartphones. Leveraging ARM's low-power and high-efficiency characteristics could enable more efficient design of AI accelerators compared to existing GPUs.
알파경제 Kim Minyoung (kimmy@alphabiz.co.kr)
