Samsung's New Partnership with Tenstorrent to Develop AI Chips

On October 2, 2023, Canadian startup Tenstorrent announced a significant partnership with Samsung's chip maker division. This collaboration is set to reshape the landscape of AI chip development and promises to bring cutting-edge technology to the market.

Partnership Announcement:

Tenstorrent unveiled its partnership with Samsung, highlighting its intention to revolutionize the AI chip market. Tenstorrent specializes in creating chips, intellectual property (IP), and AI processors for data centers. This collaboration will leverage Samsung's advanced manufacturing processes, particularly the SF4X process and 4nm architecture, to produce the next generation of AI chips. These chips, known as "chiplets," will be combined with other components in a single package.

High-Performance Computing Goals:

Jim Keller, CEO of Tenstorrent, expressed the partnership's goal to develop "High-Performance Compute" solutions and make them available to customers worldwide. Notably, Tenstorrent had recently closed a $100 million funding round in August, with Samsung and automotive manufacturer Hyundai as lead investors. The funds were earmarked for product development, AI chiplet creation, and accelerating the machine learning software roadmap.

Global AI Chip Race:

The collaboration between Tenstorrent and Samsung comes at a time when nations are vying to develop the most powerful AI chips to drive high-level AI systems. This move aligns with broader global efforts to advance AI technology. For instance, the UK's Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, recently announced a $130 million investment to acquire thousands of computer chips to establish the country as an AI hub. This partnership reflects Canada's participation in the ongoing AI race, with Tenstorrent and Samsung leading the charge in producing the next generation of AI chips.