Semiconductor chips drive innovation in AI and industries

Semiconductor chips are driving a transformative wave across technology, healthcare, automotive, telecom, and power industries. These chips, particularly those fuelling AI capabilities, are fundamentally reshaping industries, ushering in a new era of innovation and efficiency gains, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Kiran Raj, Practice Head of Disruptive Tech at GlobalData, comments: “The proliferation of generative AI (GenAI) and the ensuing enterprise have ignited a fierce competition among chipmakers to develop semiconductor solutions that can handle the rigorous computational requirements of AI applications. Simultaneously, leading tech giants invested in AI are intensifying their efforts in developing proprietary chip capabilities to decrease dependency on external platforms to power their AI initiatives.”

Saurabh Daga, Associate Project Manager for Disruptive Tech at GlobalData, adds: “Semiconductor chips stand as the backbone of transformation in multiple industries. They empower autonomous vehicles to navigate complex environments and revolutionise healthcare by decoding intricate medical data for precise diagnoses. In essence, these chips not only optimise processes but also redefine standards of efficiency and accuracy, highlighting their key role in propelling us into the era of AI-driven innovation.”

GlobalData’s latest Innovation Radar report, “AI compute: how chips drive next industrial leap,” examines over 50 real-world applications of advanced chips across multiple industries, including automotive, healthcare, power, technology, and telecom. The report further categorises these applications based on different chip technologies to highlight their impact and potential across these industries.

Intel and Zeekr have partnered to introduce a new family of AI-enhanced automotive system-on-chips (SOCs). These advanced software-defined vehicle (SDV) chips enable various in-vehicle AI applications such as driver and passenger monitoring.

Ceremorphic, a US-based chip start-up, is accelerating drug discovery using AI chips. Its BioCompDiscoverX platform utilises a heterogeneous accelerator incorporating analog silicon technology capable of mimicking human cells and tissues, speeding up the identification of potential drug candidates and cutting development costs.

Cerebras Systems, a US-based AI chip startup, unveiled the Wafer Scale Engine 3 (WSE-3), the third generation of its AI chip designed to accelerate generative AI adoption. The new chip is built for training large models, providing a maximum AI capability of 125 petaflops utilising 900,000 compute cores optimised for AI tasks.

Daga concludes: “Tech advancements have pivoted from exclusively focusing on software to emphasising hardware infrastructure, especially with the integration of compute-heavy technologies like AI by enterprises. Therefore, despite integration challenges and supply chain issues, semiconductor chips hold immense potential in propelling diverse industries towards an intelligent, efficient, and innovative future.”