Sberbank is negotiating the purchase of Chinese Huawei Ascend 950 chips to develop its own AI model GigaChat. The US and EU restrictions have deprived Russian companies of access to modern American technology, so they are turning to Chinese manufacturers. In this market, Sberbank faces competition from large Chinese corporations.
Sberbank is looking for an alternative to American technology
Russia's Sberbank is trying to buy AI chips from China to support the operation of its own artificial intelligence model GigaChat. The bank asked Huawei to supply Ascend 950 chips. The reason for this step was Western sanctions, which restricted the access of Russian companies to modern American solutions in the field of artificial intelligence.
Competing with Chinese giants
According to Reuters, Sberbank faces serious competition when purchasing chips. Players such as ByteDance, Tencent, and Alibaba are vying for the same resources. The high demand from Chinese tech companies makes it difficult for Russian companies to access the necessary equipment.
Beijing and Moscow declare cooperation
During the meetings Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping In Beijing, the parties announced their intention to strengthen cooperation in the areas of artificial intelligence and defence technologies. Such agreements may affect further attempts by Russian companies to establish supplies of strategically important components from China.
Why it matters
The lack of access to Western technology is forcing Russian companies to look for new ways to develop in the field of artificial intelligence. The growing competition for Chinese chips underscores the strategic importance of technological cooperation between Moscow and Beijing.
