Audio By Carbonatix
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
-
Divers recover bodies of seven Chinese tourists from bottom of Lake Baikal
1 hour -
From windstorm to resilience: How Wa school is growing climate protection
2 hours -
Reclaiming the Garden City: Dr. Kwame Adinkrah urges Kumasi to rein in billboard proliferation
2 hours -
Bursar of Ghanata SHS arrested for alleged diversion of student food supplies
2 hours -
Trump says he will increase global tariffs to 15%
2 hours -
Bogoso-Prestea mine records first gold pour after 24-month shutdown
2 hours -
Ghana–ECOWAS talks end with renewed push for women and youth political inclusion
3 hours -
Interior Minister receives Hudai Foundation food donation for prison inmates during Ramadan
3 hours -
UBIDS to benefit from pre-fabricated US$6.6m 1k capacity classroom project
3 hours -
Interior Minister launches Automated Fire Safety Compliance System to enhance public safety
3 hours -
Africa must lead climate intervention conversation – Experts
3 hours -
Ghana hosts high-level ECOWAS meeting to boost women and youth political participation
5 hours -
Canada looks to trade talks after US Supreme Court tosses Trump’s tariffs
5 hours -
Ghana, Burkina Faso sign 7 cooperation agreements to deepen bilateral ties
5 hours -
Duraplast supports Accra sanitation drive with donation of 20 waste bins
5 hours
