Alibaba is not just an e-commerce company, it is also a technology company with strong technical strength and innovation capabilities. In cutting-edge fields such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, chips, blockchain, and quantum computing, Alibaba has achieved a series of breakthrough results and made important contributions to the development of the digital economy in China and even the world.
Among them, the most representative is Alibaba Cloud's self-developed "Feitian" cloud computing platform, which is the only self-developed cloud operating system in China, realizing a breakthrough in China's cloud computing from scratch. The core technology of Feitian system is completely independent and controllable, and the overall technology has reached the international leading level. Feitian System adopts a data-centric distributed cloud computing architecture, which can realize the expansion and scheduling of computing resources across data centers on a global scale to meet the requirements of large-scale data processing.
Dr. Wang Jian is the founder of Alibaba Cloud, the initiator, designer and builder of Feitian System. He led the Alibaba Cloud team to build the Feitian system from scratch and wrote the first line of code on the first day of work after the Spring Festival in 2009. After ten years of unremitting efforts, Dr. Wang Jian and his team have successfully built the most advanced cloud computing platform in China and even the world, and promoted the transformation of China's IT industry from IOE (IBM minicomputer, Oracle database and EMC storage) to cloud computing. This feat not only provides strong technical support for Alibaba Group's business development, but also makes a demonstration and contribution to the development of cloud computing industry in China and even the world.
Alibaba Group not only has an excellent performance in cloud computing, but also demonstrated strong innovation and competitiveness in other cutting-edge technology fields. One important area is chip design. Alibaba Group's Pingtou Ge Company (formerly known as Zhongtian Micro) is a company focusing on artificial intelligence chips and solutions, with self-developed neural network processor IP cores, chips and system platforms. In 2019, Pingtou Ge launched the world's first artificial intelligence chip based on RISC-V architecture - Hanguang 8003.
Pingtou Ge chose RISC-V architecture as the basis for its artificial intelligence chips, based on the understanding and grasp of the advantages and potential of RISC-V architecture. Pingtou Ge has customized the expansion of artificial intelligence applications on the RISC-V architecture, realizing the characteristics of high performance, low power consumption, low cost and high reliability.
Hanguang 800 chip is an artificial intelligence chip for edge computing scenarios, with 16 cores, 8TOPS/W computing efficiency, support for a variety of neural network models, support for a variety of data types and other characteristics. Hanguang 800 chip has been successfully used in smart cities, intelligent transportation, intelligent medical and other fields, providing new impetus and choices for the development of artificial intelligence in China and even the world.
Pingtou Ge not only adopts RISC-V architecture in chip design, but also adopts localized solutions in chip production. Pingtou reached a cooperation agreement with SMIC to manufacture the 800 chip using SMIC's self-developed 14nm process.
This is the first time that China has achieved the mass production of artificial intelligence chips under the 14nm process, and it is also the first time that China has achieved the mass production of artificial intelligence chips under the RISC-V architecture. This measure not only reflects the support and confidence of Pingtou Ge Company for localization, but also sets an example and benchmark for the development of China's semiconductor industry.
When choosing the RISC-V architecture, Pingtou also learned the lesson of Huawei's suppression by the United States. Huawei has suffered multiple rounds of sanctions and suppression from the United States in the past few years, resulting in great difficulties in chip design and production. The United States not only prohibits U.S. companies from supplying chips and related technologies to Huawei, but also prohibits the supply of chips designed or manufactured using U.S. technology or software to Huawei.
This makes Huawei unable to obtain high-end chip products and foundry services from TSMC, the world's largest chip foundry. Although Huawei has its own Kirin high-end chips, it cannot find a suitable foundry to produce them.
As an open source and free instruction set architecture, RISC-V architecture is not subject to US patent law or export control laws, which can effectively avoid the risk of US suppression of Chinese technology enterprises.
At the same time, RISC-V architecture has an open international community, including academia, industry, government agencies and other participants, to jointly promote the development and application of RISC-V architecture, forming an active technological innovation and exchange platform.
Pingtou also actively participated in the construction and contribution of the RISC-V community, becoming a platinum member of the RISC-V Foundation, and working with other members to develop and improve RISC-V standards and specifications.
In short, Pingtou Ge Company is an artificial intelligence chip company full of innovative spirit and international vision, and has chosen an open source and free instruction set architecture that is not affected by US sanctions, which effectively avoids the risk of US suppression of Chinese technology companies. Pingtou also actively participates in the construction and contribution of the RISC-V community, and works with other members to promote the development and application of the RISC-V architecture. Ali's real identity under the coat of e-commerce, even if the United States wants to deal with Ali by the same means as Huawei, it is too late.