Nvidia (NVDA) has been on a hiring spree in China as it looks to fulfill the runaway demand for its artificial intelligence chips. Immediate reports indicate that the second most valuable company in the world has added about 200 people to its workforce in Beijing. The new hires are part of an effort to enhance the development of new autonomous driving technologies using AI.
Nvidia China Push
Beijing has taken the lead in developing EV technologies and bringing down the cost of a new generation of connected cars thanks to its support for domestic EV manufacturers. Nvidia has been creating AI and driving automation software for over ten years, but its efforts have not yet paid off. The company’s researchers in China would be in a good position to collaborate with regional automakers who are seeking these technologies to improve their products.
In addition, the chip giant has strengthened its sales, service, and networking software development teams and looks to strengthen its prospects amid the AI push. Similarly, the push in China comes amid soaring tensions between Beijing and Washington over advanced semiconductors. Amid the stalemate, Nvidia has maintained a significant presence in China, going by the $5.4 billion in sales generated last quarter.
The significant sales underscore China’s importance as a market and research hub for some of the most sought-after chips. Nevertheless, the company is still under scrutiny in the country, with a local antitrust regulator launching a probe into its takeover of Mellanox in 2020. Authorities had approved the transaction conditionally.
The inquiry is a component of the escalating trade dispute between the United States and China and could result in a fine or requests for corrective actions. Beijing has declared an export ban on essential materials, and US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened additional tariffs on Chinese goods.
Alphabetâs Gemini 2.0
Meanwhile, Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google has unveiled a more powerful version of its virtual agent. Gemini 2.0 is the new model capable of generating images and audio across languages. It’s also programmed to assist in Google searches and coding projects. Similarly, it should help build agents that can think, remember and plan.
Google unveiled “deep research,” a new online tool that claims to allow Gemini users to use AI to delve deeply into subjects with in-depth reports. Users of Google’s premium AI subscription service, Gemini Advanced, will be able to access the feature soon. It is marketed as an AI-powered research assistant. According to the company, Gemini users around the world will have access to a chat-optimized online version of the experimental Gemini 2.0 Flash. In the upcoming year, more Google products will use the model. Google is under pressure to ensure that its dominance in search and advertising is not weakened by the newest wave of AI tools promoted by OpenAI and other startups. Although the company has managed to maintain its market share in search thus far, OpenAI is exerting pressure on the industry leader by integrating additional search functions into ChatGPT. The ultimate goal of both businesses is to create artificial general intelligence, or software, that can carry out tasks just as well as or even better than people.
