Sberbank turns to China for chips to power Russia's GigaChat AI model
Sberbank hopes to power its flagship GigaChat artificial intelligence model with Chinese-made chips, according to its chief executive, as Western sanctions continue to restrict Russia’s access to advanced semiconductor technology, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
“We are hoping that we will be able to use Chinese microchips for GigaChat,” Chief Executive German Gref told state broadcaster Channel One during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China.
GigaChat was developed by Sberbank, Russia’s largest lender, which has been leading the country’s push into artificial intelligence.
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However, the bank’s efforts to acquire advanced chips from China face strong competition, as major Chinese technology companies—including ByteDance, Tencent, and Alibaba—are also seeking supplies of Huawei’s Ascend 950 AI chips.
The Ascend 950, currently China’s most advanced chip, still lags behind Nvidia’s H200 model produced in the United States. Gref did not specify which chips Sberbank is attempting to purchase.
Russia continues to trail global AI leaders, particularly the United States and China, in the development of advanced artificial intelligence technologies. The country also remains heavily dependent on imported electronics in sensitive sectors, including defence, with China serving as its primary supplier of such hardware.
By Nijat Babayev
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