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| Tencent Boosts AI Capabilities with Major Xingmai HPC Network Upgrade Amidst US Export Restrictions Image credit: Bloomberg |
Tencent has significantly upgraded its High-Performance Computing (HPC) network, Xingmai, enhancing AI capabilities by up to 60% in network communications and 20% in large language model (LLM) training, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
This upgrade is part of a broader effort among Chinese tech giants to boost technological self-reliance amid restricted access to advanced processors like Nvidia's H100 due to stringent US export controls. The improved Xingmai 2.0 network significantly enhances the efficiency of communication between computing clusters. Previously, excessive communication time led to underutilized GPU capacities. By upgrading its network, Tencent has not only boosted communication efficiency but also managed to cut costs.
At a time when Chinese firms are seeking to reduce dependency on foreign technology, Tencent's strategy contrasts with its American competitors who focus on acquiring cutting-edge semiconductors. Tencent has achieved performance gains by optimizing its existing facilities. The upgraded network now supports over 100,000 GPUs in a single cluster, doubling its initial capacity and reducing problem-solving time from days to mere minutes.
Tencent's advancements in AI are not limited to infrastructure improvements. The company is actively promoting its in-house developed LLMs for enterprise applications and offers services to help other companies develop their own AI models. This comes amidst a price war in China's AI industry, with major firms like Tencent, ByteDance, Baidu, and Alibaba significantly reducing costs to undercut Western competitors. Tencent recently made its Hunyuan LLM lite version free and reduced prices for standard versions, following similar moves by its rivals.
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