In an effort to challenge Nvidia’s dominance in the field, Russian company “Baikal Electronics” has embarked on the creation of a series of artificial intelligence (AI) processors. To achieve this, the company has established a new division and has begun actively recruiting employees. Experts estimate that the development of an AI processor will take approximately three years and require an investment of up to 2 billion rubles.
According to TechGPT social media channel, Andrei Evdokimov, CEO of “Baikal Electronics,” said that the new division will leverage the best existing architectural approaches to develop a range of specialized chips for AI applications. The team’s primary task will also include building a software ecosystem for the new processors.
The head of the new division is Maxim Maslov, director of the AI Solutions Development Department at “Baikal Electronics.” The company has not disclosed specific details regarding the project’s timeline or financial investments.
However, according to Maxim Gorshenin, a former employee of the MCST, it is probable that “Baikal” may manufacture the new chips abroad. Russian facilities are currently limited to producing chips with a topology of 180-90 nm. While “Mikron” has achieved production capability of chips with a 65 nm topology, it remains limited to small-scale batches and engineering samples. Advanced technologies are essential for AI applications.
At present, Nvidia stands as the leader in the development of specialized AI chips, effectively monopolizing certain segments of hardware solutions. Official exports of Nvidia products to Russia are prohibited, as well as exporting advanced solutions to China.
“Despite the critical importance of specialized hardware for the advancement of AI technologies, there is a noticeable gap between leading global developments and those in Russia,” commented Maslov. “Existing domestic solutions are niche and do not cover the entire range of necessary tasks, lacking the required software ecosystems.” This is the driving force behind “Baikal Electronics” decision to embark on the development of specialized AI processors.
“Baikal Electronics” is currently in the process of assembling a team for this new undertaking. Several job vacancies related to the field have been posted on the popular job search platform, HeadHunter. For example, the company is seeking candidates with varying qualifications for a project involving the creation of Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) for AI tasks. Their responsibilities will include developing the RTL of a new computational core from scratch, as well as verifying designed blocks and other tasks.
The development of the AI processor lineup by “Baikal Electronics” could represent a significant milestone in the advancement of the Russian IT sector and strengthen the company’s position in the specialized AI solutions market.
