Meta's $29B AI Data Center, Qualcomm's AI CPUs, and Tesla's Chip Design Shift - Silicon Brief #30

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In this edition of Silicon Brief, we're diving into the latest developments in AI chips and data centers. Deutsche Telekom has announced plans to build a new AI data center in 2026, partnering with Nvidia and Brookfield to enhance their capabilities. Meanwhile, Qualcomm is making a comeback in the data center market with its new AI CPUs, aiming to provide more efficient processing power for AI applications.

On the hardware front, NEO Semiconductor has unveiled its new X-HBM technology designed for AI chips, promising to boost performance and efficiency. Additionally, SoftBank has increased its investment in Nvidia to $3 billion, signaling a strong commitment to advancing AI technologies. These developments highlight the ongoing evolution and expansion in the AI sector, with companies investing heavily in infrastructure and innovation to meet growing demands.

Oklo is advancing its Aurora small modular reactor (SMR) project with Vertiv and Liberty Energy, aiming for pilot operations by 2027 at Idaho National Laboratory. Meanwhile, Google has committed to reducing power usage at its AI data centers during peak demand to support the US electricity grid.

Flex unveiled a new power shelf system for the NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 platform at the OCP APAC event, enhancing efficiency in AI data centers. Meanwhile, OpenAI and Cloudflare introduced open-weight models on the Cloudflare Workers AI platform, offering developers access to models with 120 billion and 20 billion parameters.

AMD reports a decline in AI datacenter revenue due to the US ban on GPU exports to China, resulting in an estimated $800 million loss. Meanwhile, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is set to visit the White House amid calls for his resignation, addressing national security concerns and potential collaboration with the administration.

Deutsche Telekom is set to build a large-scale AI data center in North Rhine-Westphalia in collaboration with Nvidia and Brookfield, aiming to support Europe's first industrial AI cloud. Meanwhile, Qualcomm is re-entering the data center market with new AI CPUs, targeting hyperscalers and partnering with Humain to develop AI data centers.

Tamil Nadu has launched India's first School of Semiconductor with a ₹100 crore grant to foster talent in the semiconductor industry. Meanwhile, Arteris has licensed its FlexGen IP to AMD for next-gen AI chiplet designs, enhancing data transport performance across AMD's AI portfolio.