Facebook looks to be in the early stages of developing its own silicon to power its devices and servers, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
The company is looking to hire a manager tasked with assembling an “end-to-end SoC / ASIC, firmware, and driver development organization.”
So the plan is only coming together, but Facebook’s interest in becoming more self-reliant — and less dependent on outside companies like Qualcomm — makes it the latest tech giant to start down this path.
Apple already has self-branded chips inside its iOS devices and is reportedly planning to replace the Intel processors in Mac computers with its own.
Google produces custom AI chips and included its first consumer-focused silicon (an image processor) in the Pixel 2 last year. It’s likely that the company has much bigger ambitions as part of its hardware rivalry with Apple. Amazon is said to be developing chips to improve Alexa’s AI smarts.
Facebook’s job listings are under the category of infrastructure, so it’s very probable that the chip team will be putting its efforts toward the company’s artificial intelligence servers.
Right now the servers, which train Facebook’s AI systems, are Nvidia-powered. Mark Zuckerberg has said that AI will eventually play an even bigger role in flagging inappropriate content across the social network than it does currently, though it’s really not a viable solution for the company’s deeper issues.
But Facebook could also power smart speakers or future Oculus virtual reality headsets with its own chips. That would allow the company to make the kind of improvements and optimizations that are only possible when hardware and software are tightly integrated throughout the entire development process.
Of course, people still accuse Facebook of spying on them despite hard evidence to the contrary, so there might be a bit of a trust problem if the company starts putting its own silicon into consumer gadgets.
Latest Stories
-
Star Assurance signs up for JoySports Invitational Tournament
34 seconds -
Indigenous firm Duytlex partners with Petro-Luanda to expand footprint in Africa
1 minute -
JAPTU Ghana pays courtesy call on IGP Yohuno, POMAB members
16 minutes -
The healers who were left behind: A tale from Nunyãdume
46 minutes -
Telecel bridging digital divide through KNUST SONSOL Programme
51 minutes -
2025 Mid-Year Budget: Trade expert calls for single-digit inflation to strengthen economy
58 minutes -
From Doubt to Dreams: Telecel’s 2Moorch Money Promo changes a nurse’s life
59 minutes -
A strong cedi that Ghana does feel – policy and market behaviour
1 hour -
GIPC facilitates 2,000 jobs following milestone aftercare intervention
1 hour -
2025 Mid-Year Budget: Economy is on steady course – Trade Expert
1 hour -
Stanbic Investment Management Services Ltd announces strong 2024 performance
1 hour -
Banking is necessary, but banks are not: Ghana’s digital finance disruption story
2 hours -
Ghana set to sign bilateral debt agreements today under G-20 framework
2 hours -
Gov’t narrows fiscal deficit target after better-than-expected first half
2 hours -
Small Ivory Coast cocoa firms say EU deforestation rules might bankrupt them
2 hours