Huawei Technologies announced accelerated timelines for its next-generation AI chips during the Huawei Connect 2026 conference in Shanghai on Thursday. The company plans to release the Ascend 960DT processor in the first quarter of 2027, three quarters ahead of its original schedule, and the 960PR variant in the third quarter of 2027.

Rotating chairman David Wang highlighted the updates as part of an annual cadence for the Ascend series, with the 970 expected in 2028 and the 980 in 2029. The new chips will roughly double computing power per generation while improving memory bandwidth and interconnect capabilities.

Huawei also introduced the Atlas 960 SuperPoD computing cluster, which can link up to 4,096 neural processing units using optical interconnects. The system emphasizes large-scale clustering to offset per-chip performance gaps with competitors. Additional announcements included an optical engine called Hi-ONE and upgrades to high-speed connectivity components.

Executives stated that domestic demand for Ascend AI products exceeds current supply. Rotating chairman Eric Xu said Ascend holds a larger share of China's AI chip market than Nvidia, though the company prioritizes Chinese customers and has no broad global expansion plans. Huawei has shipped more than 1,000 AI computing systems to over 370 customers.

The moves come amid U.S. export controls that limit access to advanced foreign chips in China, pushing Beijing toward technological self-reliance. Huawei aims to provide an alternative infrastructure for AI training and inference within the country.