[Rumor] NVIDIA is preparing to launch a new AI Inference system chip, with OpenAI as its first customer.

NVIDIA to Unveil $20B Inference Powerhouse at GTC: OpenAI Secured as Debut Customer

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, NVIDIA is set to dominate the upcoming GTC Conference this March with the launch of a revolutionary chip and processing system specifically engineered for AI Inference.

The $20 Billion Strategic Leap

The centerpiece of this launch is a specialized Inference chip born from a high-stakes collaboration between NVIDIA and Groq, a rising leader in real-time AI processing. While not yet official, the valuation of this partnership is estimated at a staggering $20 billion.

The Shift from Training to Execution

The industry is currently witnessing a massive pivot in AI workloads. While "Training" built the foundation of models, the focus has now shifted to "Inference" the stage where a trained model is actually called upon to perform tasks, such as generating code or answering queries.

As many tech giants began developing their own in-house silicon to achieve faster, more energy-efficient inference than traditional GPUs, NVIDIA has responded with this dedicated hardware to reclaim its dominance in the execution phase of the AI lifecycle.

OpenAI as the Anchor Client

NVIDIA won’t have to look far for a market leader to validate this new hardware. The report confirms that OpenAI has already signed a deal to become the first major customer to deploy these new inference systems.

Training a model is like "studying," requiring immense power, but inference is like "taking an exam," demanding speed (low latency) and energy efficiency. Business AI projects use ten times more energy than training.

Groq stands out with its LPU (Language Processing Unit) technology, focusing on text processing speeds many times faster than traditional GPUs. NVIDIA's massive investment in Groq reflects its recognition that traditional architecture may not be sufficient for future AI agents.

Companies like OpenAI bear enormous costs every time a question is asked. Switching from general-purpose GPUs to specialized inference chips will significantly reduce the cost-per-query, resulting in cheaper or more freely accessible AI services in the future.

This move by NVIDIA is a way to counter competitors like Amazon (Trainium/Inferentia) and Google (TPU), who are trying to poach customers for their own chips. NVIDIA is telling the market, "If you want the fastest and most cost-effective solution, you still need NVIDIA." 

 

Microsoft Affirms "Steel-Clad" Partnership with OpenAI Amidst AWS’s $50 Billion Strategic Entry 

 

Source: The Wall Street Journal