At the Huawei Connect 2026 conference in Shanghai, Huawei Deputy Chairman and Rotating Chairman Wang Tao outlined the company's AI strategy centered on computing power, with a hardware‑monetization focus and a supernode + cluster architecture to build a domestic compute foundation. The strategy includes an open‑source compute ecosystem supporting native training of mainstream large models.
Ascend roadmap acceleration: The Ascend 960 chip has been moved up, with performance doubling over the previous generation.
Ascend 960DT: now targeted for Q1 2027 – three quarters earlier than originally planned
Ascend 960PR: set for Q3 2027 – one quarter ahead of schedule
Ascend 970: planned for 2028; Ascend 980 for 2029 – maintaining a one‑generation‑per‑year cadence
Commercial progress: Ascend supernode deployments have exceeded 1,000 units, and the Ascend 950 supernode has entered large‑scale commercial use. Wang Tao emphasized that computing power is the core of Huawei's AI strategy, with the supernode + cluster architecture forming a solid domestic compute foundation.
ICgoodFind Takeaway:
Huawei's accelerated Ascend roadmap signals faster iteration of domestic AI compute. With supernodes already in volume deployment, the ecosystem is maturing – buyers should track Ascend chip supply and cluster deployment progress.
