AI时代,为什么人人都在聊芯片?

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难度：CSE9

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近日，芯片巨头英伟达总市值达到了史无前例的万亿美元。究其根本，英伟达主要是踩上了AI的风口。当前的AI热潮始于去年年末，当时ChatGPT横空出世，受到空前关注，这让大量投资涌向AI芯片领域。为什么英伟达可以一跃成为这场AI芯片革命中的霸主？它目前面临着哪些大小敌手的挑战？一起来听今天的讲解。

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英文原文

The Next Challengers Joining Nvidia in the AI Chip Revolution 2023.07.21

继任挑战者们跟随英伟达，投身AI芯片革命

By Asa Fitch and Jiyoung Sohn

Nvidia has emerged as the leader in powering the early days of the artificial-intelligence revolution, but rivals big and small are looking to close the gap.

英伟达已跃身成为推动AI革命早期发展的行业领头羊，然而，大大小小的竞争对手都在试图缩小他们与英伟达之间的竞争差距。

The current AI boom began late last year, when OpenAI's ChatGPT tool captured the public's imagination by generating cogent text in response to prompts. The attention led to a surge of investment in chips that can create and deploy ChatGPT and other so-called generative AI language systems.

当前的AI热潮始于去年年底。当时，OpenAI旗下的工具ChatGPT引发了公众兴趣，它可以根据提示生成合理通顺的文本。这样的关注度也让大量投资涌向可生成、运行ChatGPT及其他所谓的“生成式AI语言系统”的芯片领域。

Nvidia was a leader in producing such AI chips, thanks in part to its background in making semiconductors for videogame graphics that were repurposed for AI years ago. The latest wave of enthusiasm juiced sales for Nvidia, skyrocketing its valuation above $1 trillion and prompting Chief Executive Jensen Huang to declare AI a revolutionary technology on par with personal computers and smartphones.

英伟达曾是此类AI芯片制造商的领头羊，这在一定程度上要归功于其在制作电子游戏图形芯片方面的背景，几年前这些芯片转用于AI领域。最近这段狂潮让英伟达的销量一飞冲天，使其估值飙升过万亿美元大关，这也促使其首席执行官黄仁勋（Jensen Huang）宣布，人工智能是一项可以与个人电脑和智能手机相提并论的革命性科技。

AMD is seen as the closest rival to Nvidia. The company could reach a 20% market share in AI chips over time, both because of the strength of its products and because the world needs a second source to Nvidia. Intel has also pushed back against what it called the narrative suggesting only Nvidia's chips can run generative AI.

AMD被视为英伟达最强劲的对手。该公司未来可能在AI芯片行业占据20%的市场份额，这既是因为它产品过硬，也是因为世界需要除英伟达之外的第二供应商。英特尔也驳斥了所谓只有英伟达的芯片才能运行生成式AI的论调。

Nvidia's head start isn't discouraging newcomers. Nigel Toon, the CEO of U.K.-based Graphcore, which has raised about $750 million from investors, said a more powerful version of his company's AI processors was in the works as it tries to compete with Nvidia.

英伟达的先发优势并没有吓退新人。总部位于英国的拟未科技（Graphcore）已融资约7.5亿美元，其首席执行官奈杰尔·图恩（Nigel Toon）称，为挑战英伟达，其公司已在筹备更强大的新版本AI处理器。

"They need to share some of that market cap," he said, referring to Nvidia's $1 trillion valuation.

在提到英伟达的万亿市值时，他说：“他们总得分点市值出来吧。”

生词好句

1.join somebody in

加入......的行列，一起做......

拓展:

join me in a toast to the bride and groom 和我一起举杯，祝福新人

2.emerge

英 [ɪˈmɜːdʒ]美 [ɪˈmɜrːdʒ]

v. （从隐蔽处或暗处）出现，浮现，露出

3.power

英 [paʊə]美 [ˈpaʊər]

v. 驱动，给予动力

拓展:

The planes are powered by Rolls-Royce engines.

这些飞机由罗尔斯•罗伊斯发动机驱动。

4.close the gap

缩短/消除差距

拓展:

close the gap between water supply and demand 减小供水量与需求间的缺口

5.boom

英 [buːm]美 [buːm]

n. 增长，繁荣

拓展:

the economic boom 经济繁荣

baby boom 婴儿潮

6.capture somebody's imagination

引发某人的高度兴趣或极度兴奋

拓展:

The movie captured the public's imagination.

这部电影引发了广泛关注。

7.cogent

英 [ˈkəʊdʒənt]美 [ˈkoʊdʒənt]

adj. 强有力的，令人信服的

拓展:

cogent evidence 强有力的证据

8.prompt

英 [prɒmpt]美 [prɑːmpt]

n. 指令，提示符

9.deploy

英 [dɪˈplɔɪ]美 [dɪˈplɔɪ]

v. 调用，使发挥作用

10.repurpose

英 [ˌriːˈpɜːpəs]美 [ˌriːˈpɜrːpəs]

v. 改变用途

拓展:

repurpose a building 翻新建筑用于他途

11.skyrocket

英 [ˈskaɪˌrɒkɪt]美 [ˈskaɪˌrɑːkɪt]

v. 猛涨，飞涨

拓展:

Unemployment has skyrocketed.

失业率飙升。

12.on (a) par with

平起平坐，不相上下，媲美

拓展:

His new book is on par with his bestsellers.

他的新书可以媲美他的畅销作品了。

13.second source

第二供应商，第二货源

14.head start

先发优势

15.market cap

市值（market capitalization）