21 May 2026
Alibaba has unveiled its new AI chip, the Zhenwu M890, featuring 144GB of GPU memory, designed for both training and inferencing workloads.
Alibaba
Alibaba is making significant investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure, focusing on expanding data center capacity and acquiring necessary hardware. The company's strategy involves substantial capital expenditure to bolster its AI sector position and scale foundational capabilities. This includes securing high-end computing components like advanced GPUs, following regulatory approvals. The overarching goal is to ensure access to advanced computing resources for its ambitious AI development.
Operationally, Alibaba is developing proprietary server chips based on the RISC-V architecture to create domestic alternatives and reduce reliance on Western components. A notable development is the launch of an AI data center powered by 10,000 homegrown chips, signaling a strategic push towards self-sufficiency amidst export restrictions. This initiative complements efforts to acquire leading Western components, demonstrating a dual approach to building resilience.
Further advancing its AI hardware capabilities, Alibaba has unveiled its new AI chip, the Zhenwu M890. This chip is designed for both training and inferencing workloads and features a substantial 144GB of GPU memory. This launch underscores Alibaba's commitment to developing its own advanced AI processing power, contributing to its domestic technology ecosystem and its broader strategy of technological independence.
Last updated May 24, 2026
Coverage
10 Apr 2026
Alibaba has launched a new artificial intelligence data center utilizing 10,000 internally developed chips, highlighting a strategic move towards self-sufficiency in response to United States export restrictions.
25 Mar 2026
Alibaba has introduced a new server central processing unit based on the RISC-V instruction set architecture, which the company claims has achieved performance records for that architecture, although it appears to lag behind current Western server processors.
20 Mar 2026
The Chinese technology conglomerate Alibaba disclosed that its T-Head chip division has shipped 470,000 proprietary artificial intelligence chips, while simultaneously acknowledging their current performance inferiority compared to rivals, banking instead on deep software-hardware optimization to close the gap.
2 Feb 2026
Alibaba is reportedly planning to significantly increase its capital expenditure on artificial intelligence data centers, reaching an estimated $69 billion over three years, which includes purchasing substantial consumer graphics cards for cluster buildout.
28 Jan 2026
China has reportedly approved the purchase of Nvidia H200 graphic processing units by major technology firms like ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent, while the government assesses potential conditions for further sales.