TikTok parent reportedly advances plans for in-house artificial intelligence processor, targeting mass production this year as it boosts AI investments and seeks greater supply security amid global chip shortages and tightening US export controls.
China-based ByteDance is reportedly advancing plans to develop its own artificial intelligence chip and has entered discussions with Samsung Electronics over potential manufacturing arrangements, according to reports quoting people familiar with the matter. The move reflects the company’s broader effort to secure access to advanced processors critical for AI workloads.
Sources, as per reports, indicate that ByteDance aims to receive initial sample chips by the end of March. The processor is said to be designed primarily for AI inference tasks, which power applications such as recommendation engines and chatbots. Production could reach at least 100,000 units this year, with the possibility of scaling up significantly if development progresses as planned.
Samsung is reportedly being considered not only for chip fabrication but also for access to high-demand memory components, which remain in tight global supply amid rapid expansion of AI infrastructure. ByteDance, however, has described reports about its in-house chip project as inaccurate, without providing further clarification. Samsung has not commented on the matter.
Expanding AI ambitions
The reported chip initiative aligns with ByteDance’s growing investment in artificial intelligence across its platforms, including short-video services, e-commerce operations, and enterprise cloud offerings. The company has been building chip-related capabilities since at least 2022 and established a dedicated AI-focused unit, Seed, in 2023 to accelerate model development and deployment.
Global technology firms such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have introduced proprietary AI chips in recent years to reduce reliance on Nvidia, which dominates the advanced AI processor market. Chinese companies are also intensifying domestic chip development efforts amid US export restrictions on high-end semiconductor sales to China.
ByteDance is said to be planning substantial AI-related spending this year, allocating significant resources to both Nvidia processors and internal research initiatives. Company executives have reportedly reiterated their commitment to strengthening AI capabilities, acknowledging competitive gaps with leading global players while emphasizing continued investment.
If realized, the in-house chip program would mark a strategic milestone in ByteDance’s ambition to control more of its AI technology stack.
