Nvidia has recently announced the introduction of its next-generation AI chip platform named 'Rubin'.
Reuters reports that this new family of chips is set to launch in 2026, as revealed by Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang during a speech at the Computex trade show held at National Taiwan University in Taipei.
What is the Rubin Chip Platform?
The Rubin platform represents Nvidia's latest advancement in AI hardware. It comprises new graphics processors (GPUs), central processors (CPUs), and networking chips.
The new CPU, dubbed Versa, and the next-generation GPUs are designed to power AI applications with high-bandwidth memory. This memory will be supplied by prominent manufacturers such as SK Hynix, Micron, and Samsung.
The introduction of the Rubin platform is part of Nvidia's goal of advancing AI technology and meeting the growing demand for high-performance AI hardware.
By accelerating its release schedule from every two years to annually, Nvidia aims to maintain its dominance in the AI chip market, which it currently leads with an estimated 80% market share.
Jensen Huang also addressed the shift in Nvidia's release schedule, highlighting that the company now plans to launch a new family of AI chips each year.
Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang delivers his keystone speech ahead of Computex 2024 in Taipei on June 2, 2024. Computex is the top annual tech showcase in Taiwan, whose advanced semiconductor industry is crucial to the production of everything from iPhones to the servers that run ChatGPT. Photo by SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)
Nvidia to Bring AI to Gaming Laptops
In addition to the Rubin platform, Nvidia is also making strides in integrating AI capabilities into gaming laptops. The Verge reports that Nvidia and AMD are set to launch laptops featuring AI Copilot Plus capabilities, leveraging Microsoft's latest AI advancements for Qualcomm-powered devices.
Brands such as Asus and MSI will release "RTX AI PC" laptops equipped with up to GeForce RTX 4070 GPUs and power-efficient systems-on-a-chip designed for Windows 11 AI PC features, Nvidia said in a recent blog post.
These laptops will receive a free update to include Copilot+ PC experiences once available. Nvidia will also release an RTX AI Toolkit in June, which includes tools and SDKs for model customization, optimization, and deployment.
This toolkit will enable developers to optimize models like Meta's Llama 2 to run more efficiently with lower VRAM requirements and improved performance.
Collaboration with Microsoft
Nvidia is also collaborating closely with Microsoft to develop underlying AI models integrated into Windows 11. This partnership aims to provide application developers with easy API access to GPU-accelerated small language models (SLMs) that enable retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) capabilities, running directly on devices powered by the Windows Copilot Runtime.
Nvidia's Rapid Growth
Nvidia's strategic moves promise to significantly impact the AI chip market. The company's large market share and innovative product development put it in an advantageous position to influence the direction of AI hardware advancements.
Over the past year, Nvidia's stock has nearly tripled, propelling its market valuation to $2.72 trillion, closely trailing behind Apple's $2.93 trillion valuation.
