SoftBank Cancels AI Chip Collaboration with Intel

SoftBank ended its partnership with Intel on AI chips because they weren’t meeting their needs. They then turned their attention to TSMC.

The Japanese technology backer SoftBank has dropped its plan to work with Intel on an AI chip that would compete with Nvidia, the Financial Times reported.

A report on Thursday citing sources familiar with the case said that the partnership did not happen because the US chipmaker had trouble meeting SoftBank’s requirements.

Reports say SoftBank blamed Intel for the end of the talks, saying the chipmaker couldn’t meet its needs for speed and volume. The report said that SoftBank is now focussing on talks with TSMC which makes more chips than any other company in the world.

The negotiations failed before Intel announced its big plans to cut costs, which included letting go of thousands of workers in early August, the report said.