Microsoft Unveils Custom AI Chips and Arm-based Processors for Cost-effective Solutions

Microsoft has developed its own custom AI chip, called Azure Maia, and an Arm-based CPU, named Azure Cobalt, to power its Azure data centers and meet the growing demand for AI. The Azure Maia chip is designed for large language model training and inference, while the Azure Cobalt CPU is optimized for general cloud services. Both chips are part of Microsoft's deep overhaul of its cloud server stack to optimize performance, power, and cost. The Maia chip has 105 billion transistors and supports faster model training and inference times. Microsoft is also sharing its rack designs with partners but keeping the chip designs in-house. The chips are expected to be available in 2024.