Google to introduce two variants of in-house chips, reports

Google is preparing two redesigned versions of its Tensor Processing Units, with each aimed at specific customer requirements, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. The TPU 8tx targets secure computing needs among government bodies and companies in regulated fields, while the 8i Max is intended for AI tasks involving extended context.

Google chief technologist for AI infrastructure Amin Vahdat told Bloomberg the offerings are reconfigurations of existing chips, rather than entirely new processors. Google’s custom chips, initially kept for internal operations, are now challenging Nvidia graphics processors used for AI workloads, according to the report. Alphabet shares gained more than 2% in premarket trading, though they were down 9% so far this year through the previous close; the report has not been independently verified by Reuters.