OpenAI unveils its first custom chip, built by Broadcom
On Wednesday, OpenAI unveiled its first custom-built inference processor, designed and manufactured in collaboration with Broadcom. Named Jalapeño, the new processor was designed specifically for the unique needs of OpenAI’s inference systems. OpenAI’s own AI models assisted in the development of the chip, the company said.
While the chip is still being tested, OpenAI says early results show significantly better performance-per-watt than current state-of-the-art alternatives.
The partnership was officially announced in October, but OpenAI’s chip plans have long been rumored as a way to reduce the company’s dependence on Nvidia’s GPUs. Google and Amazon have both built custom chips to serve a similar purpose, often called “AI accelerators” — silicon designed specifically to speed up machine learning workloads.
OpenAI president Greg Brockman explained the company’s approach to chip development on its in-house podcast, shortly after the Broadcom partnership was announced.
“We have a deep understanding of the workload,”...
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