ByteDance developing custom CPU chips to support AI rollout

BEIJING/PARIS: Chinese technology giant ByteDance is developing its own central processing units (CPUs) to support its growing AI infrastructure needs, three people familiar with the matter said, as surging chip prices and prolonged supply shortages constrain its expansion plans.

The move underscores the industry’s rapid shift toward “inference,” where AI models are deployed to perform agentic tasks that demand more from CPUs, working in tandem with ‌the graphics chips made ⁠by Nvidia ⁠that have dominated the AI boom.