(Yicai) May 20 -- T-Head Semiconductor, the chipmaking arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, unveiled a new-generation artificial intelligence chip today that delivers triple the performance of the Zhenwu 810E model launched earlier this year, underscoring the company’s push to strengthen its AI infrastructure business.

The new AI training and inference chip, named Zhenwu M890, features 144 gigabytes of memory and an inter-chip bandwidth of 800 GB per second. Combined with T-Head’s self-developed ICN Switch 1.0 interconnect chip, it enables full-bandwidth interconnection across 64 chips, significantly improving the computing efficiency of large-scale AI computing clusters.

Powered by the Zhenwu M890 and ICN Switch 1.0, Alibaba has also rolled out a 128-chip supernode server that reduces communication latency to the hundred-nanosecond level to meet demand for concurrent inference and model training in the AI agent era, the Hangzhou-based company announced at the Alibaba Cloud Summit today.

T-Head plans to further accelerate its chip development roadmap, with the Zhenwu V900 scheduled for release in the third quarter of next year and expected to triple performance again. The company also plans to launch the Zhenwu J900 in the third quarter of 2028, according to its disclosed roadmap.

T-Head was established in 2018 through the integration of the chip team from Alibaba’s Damo Academy and C-Sky Microsystems, a chip design company wholly acquired by Alibaba. In January, the company launched its first integrated AI training and inference chip, Zhenwu 810E, which features 96 GB of memory and an inter-chip bandwidth of 700 GB per second.

Cumulative shipments of the Zhenwu series have reached 560,000 units, serving more than 400 clients across over 20 industries, including state-owned telecom operator China Telecom, automaker FAW Group, and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, the company said.

Alibaba has continued to advance its AI strategy this year, including establishing the Token Hub business group and an AI Technology Committee, both directly overseen by Chief Executive Eddie Wu. During an earnings call in March, Wu said the company aims to increase annual cloud and AI business revenue from CNY100 billion (USD14.7 billion) to USD100 billion within five years.

In January, Bloomberg reported that Alibaba had decided to support a future standalone initial public offering for T-Head.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Emmi Laine