Xiaomi Hires Former HUAWEI Kirin Architect for In-House AI Chip Development
In a strategic move to bolster its self-developed technology, Xiaomi has reportedly hired Liang Jun, a former chief SoC architect for HUAWEI’s HiSilicon Kirin chips, to spearhead its artificial intelligence (AI) chip development. The news follows a similar report about Samsung, suggesting a growing belief among tech giants that HUAWEI possesses top-tier talent in chipmaking.
According to the report, Liang Jun, who also served as the former CTO of AI chipmaker Cambricon, joined FangQing Technology as CEO in August of last year. Xiaomi is reportedly not only collaborating with Liang but also investing in FangQing Technology, signalling a deep commitment to the partnership.
Liang Jun brings extensive experience in AI chip development, including technical planning, R&D, architecture design, and product development. Notably, he was instrumental in integrating the Cambricon NPU into the Kirin 970 chip in 2022.
The collaboration aims to introduce a new, advanced approach to AI chipmaking. Xiaomi plans to utilise a “design-split method” that separately processes context-aware and context-free elements within AI models. This innovative strategy is expected to optimise distributed processing, leading to significant gains in the efficiency and performance of AI applications.
This latest action by Xiaomi is seen as a crucial step towards creating a robust, in-house AI chip ecosystem, mirroring HUAWEI’s own efforts to reduce dependence on US-made components. The company’s prior development of the XRing O1 chip is cited as a precedent for this new self-sufficiency initiative.
Analysts suggest that Xiaomi’s substantial investment in FangQing Technology indicates a long-term plan to strengthen its NPU development capabilities. The move could potentially foster new growth and innovation within the broader Chinese AI industry, with both HUAWEI and Xiaomi playing leading roles in advancing domestic technology.
