DeepSeek is building its own AI chips

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is reportedly developing a custom chip focused on inference, the process of running models to generate responses for users. The project, which began about a year ago, aims to reduce the company’s reliance on Nvidia and Huawei hardware.

DeepSeek has been quietly hiring semiconductor engineers and engaging with external foundry and memory partners. The effort remains in the early stages as the company seeks greater control over its infrastructure.