Nvidia Unveils B200 Flagship AI Chip Alongside New AI Software Tools at Annual Conference

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang set the stage for the company’s annual developer conference with a series of announcements aimed at reinforcing its leading position in the artificial intelligence sector. Against the backdrop of a hockey arena in Silicon Valley, Huang unveiled Nvidia’s newest chip, boasting a staggering 30-fold increase in speed compared to its predecessor.

In addition to showcasing the cutting-edge hardware, Huang outlined a suite of new software tools tailored to streamline the process of AI model deployment for developers. These tools are specifically designed to facilitate the seamless integration of AI models into the operations of companies leveraging Nvidia’s technology, a clientele that includes a significant portion of the world’s largest technology firms.

By offering enhanced software capabilities alongside its advanced hardware solutions, Nvidia aims to empower developers to capitalize on the transformative potential of AI technology. With a focus on facilitating the adoption and deployment of AI models across diverse industries, Nvidia seeks to solidify its position as a key enabler of innovation and technological advancement in the AI ecosystem.

While the B200 “Blackwell” chip is 30 times speedier at tasks like serving up answers from chatbots, Huang did not give specific details about how well it performs when chewing through huge amounts data to train those chatbots – which is the kind of work that has powered most of Nvidia’s soaring sales. He also gave no price details.

All together, Huang’s announcements failed to provide new fuel for a rally in which Nvidia’s shares have surged 240 percent over the past 12 months, making it the US stock market’s third-most valuable company, behind only Microsoft and Apple. Nvidia stock dipped 1.4 percent in extended trade, while Super Micro Computer, which makes AI-optimized servers with Nvidia’s chips, fell 4 percent. Advanced Micro Devices stock dipped nearly 3 percent during the keynote.

Nvidia also is shifting from selling single chips to selling total systems. Its latest iteration houses 72 of its AI chips and 36 central processors. It contains 600,000 parts in total and weighs 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg). Many analysts expect Nvidia’s market share to drop several percentage points in 2024 as new products from competitors come to market and Nvidia’s largest customers make their own chips.

“Rivals like AMD, Intel, startups, and even Big Tech’s own chip aspirations threaten to chip away at Nvidia’s market share, particularly among cost-conscious enterprise customers,” said Insider Intelligence analyst Jason Bourne. Though Nvidia is widely known for its hardware offerings, the company has built a significant battery of software products as well.