China AI model developers ramp up in-house chips: DeepSeek, Zhipu explore custom silicon

Following the lead of AI giants OpenAI and Anthropic, which are developing custom silicon, Chinese players are making their own chip push. According to Reuters, DeepSeek is developing an in-house inference processor aimed at reducing reliance on both NVIDIA and Huawei hardware. On the other hand, The Information, cited by Investing.com, also notes that Chinese AI startup Zhipu AI is in preliminary talks with domestic chip designers to develop a custom processor for its GLM model family.