One signal

Huawei has reportedly told some customers to find their own high-bandwidth memory for its next flagship AI chip, the Ascend 960DT. The Information reported that the chip is expected to use memory from Samsung and SK Hynix; The Next Web summarised the report on 4 November.

The reported arrangement points to a practical bottleneck in China’s AI chip supply: access to advanced memory, not just processors, can shape what gets built. The report says Chinese memory makers cannot yet produce enough HBM to meet the need. The same report describes alleged smuggling routes for restricted memory, but those details rely on anonymous sources and are not independently verified by The Next Web. The supply arrangement is the useful signal; the criminal claims need firmer grounding.

Discuss: If advanced memory is a key constraint on AI chips, should export controls cover the whole chip package, or only the memory itself?

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