Overview
- Reuters reports that ByteDance is pursuing Samsung manufacturing for an in‑house AI inference chip codenamed SeedChip.
- Sources say sample units are targeted by the end of March with initial 2026 production of at least 100,000 chips and a potential ramp to about 350,000.
- Talks reportedly cover access to high‑bandwidth memory, a component in short supply that is critical for advanced AI systems.
- ByteDance called reporting on its in‑house chip project inaccurate, offering no details, while Samsung declined to comment.
- The effort comes alongside a planned 160 billion yuan ($22 billion) AI procurement budget for 2026 that still heavily funds Nvidia hardware, as rivals Alibaba and Baidu advance their own chips.