Microsoft Develops New Network Cards For Maia AI Chips And Reduces Dependence On Nvidia

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, (photo: x @satyanadella)

JAKARTA - Microsoft is developing a new network card that can improve the performance of its Maia AI server chips and has the potential to reduce the company's dependence on Nvidia chip designers, as reported by The Information on Tuesday, February 20.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has appointed Pradeep Sindhu, who co-founded network device developer Juniper Networks, to lead efforts to develop the network card, as reported by citing sources familiar with the matter. Microsoft acquired the startup of the Sindhu server chip, Fungible, last year.

The new network card is similar to Nvidia's ConnectX-7 card, which the chip developer sold with their graphics processing unit (GPU), the report added.

The equipment could take more than a year to develop and, if successful, could speed up OpenAI model training times on Microsoft servers and make the process cheaper, according to the report. Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in ChatGPT creator OpenAI and has included its technology in a variety of products, giving Windows creators the lead in the race to sell artificial intelligence software.

The company has introduced Maia, a chip meant to run a large language model and support AI computing, in November.