Friday, June 29, 2024 – ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is reportedly collaborating with U.S. chip designer Broadcom to develop an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chip, in a move to stabilize the supply of high-end chips amid the ongoing US-China trade tensions.1
The chip, according to sources familiar with the matter, would be a custom-designed 5-nanometer application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) compliant with U.S. export restrictions.
Manufacturing would be outsourced to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker.
This collaboration, if finalized, would represent a rare instance of U.S.-China cooperation in the chip sector during a period of heightened geopolitical tensions.
Broadcom already supplies ByteDance with older-generation AI chips for its data centers and servers.
Neither ByteDance, Broadcom, nor TSMC have publicly commented on the reported partnership, the report said.
Public announcements regarding collaborations on 5nm or more advanced chip technology between Chinese and U.S. firms have been absent since the implementation of U.S. export controls in 2022.
This potential partnership, however, suggests a possible avenue for continued cooperation despite geopolitical tensions.
While ByteDance and Broadcom have an existing business relationship, the new chip’s production is not expected to begin this year. Although design work is progressing, the “tapeout” phase, signifying the end of design and the start of manufacturing, has not commenced.
- benzinga.com: https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/24/06/39449696/tiktok-parent-bytedance-collaborates-with-broadcom-to-develop-advanced-ai-chip-amid-us-china-tension[↩]
