MICROSOFT
A chip off the old block
Microsoft has unveiled Maia 300, its third-generation AI chip, designed to make running AI faster and more affordable.
Set to roll out in 2027, the chip will power Microsoft’s AI products and handle more demanding tasks, including complex reasoning and AI agents that can complete multiple steps on their own.
In brief:
Maia 200, announced in January, already powers services including Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot.
Maia 300 uses a new design that separates processing, memory and data transfer to improve efficiency.
Microsoft also plans to use Maia chips to develop and run its own AI models as it competes with OpenAI, Google DeepMind and Anthropic.
Chips, chips, hooray
Microsoft says Maia 300 will produce 40% more AI-generated tokens per megawatt than leading GPU systems, while delivering up to seven times the output of its predecessor, Maia 200, in a full 96-chip setup.
The company plans to make Maia its main system for running AI services, reducing its reliance on chips from Nvidia and AMD.
Imagine being Nvidia and finding out your biggest customers have a group chat called "Making Our Own Chips".- MG