Huawei unveils latest tech to boost AI power in push to break China’s Nvidia reliance

Huawei Technologies introduced its latest Ascend 960 SuperPoD computing cluster and enhanced UnifiedBus interconnect technology at the Huawei Connect 2026 conference in Shanghai, aiming to bolster AI capabilities despite US semiconductor-related restrictions. The company unveiled near-packaged optics (NPOs) for the SuperPoD architecture, which enables higher speeds and reduced energy consumption.

The combination of UnifiedBus interconnect technology and Hi-ONE optical system allows a SuperPoD to connect up to 4,000 processors, extending high-speed optical connections within the computing system. Huawei's Ascend 950 SuperPoD was commercialized last year. David Wang Tao, rotating and acting chairman for Huawei, emphasized that supernodes are essential for constructing ultra-large-scale data centers.

The firm has already deployed a 256K-node-class single AI computing system, integrating UnifiedBus and the Nested BP computing model across the system. This development expands Huawei's UnifiedBus 2.0, unveiled in September 2025, which connects numerous processors, memory modules, and computing resources to function as a unified computer.

High-speed interconnects are crucial for Huawei as it strives to overcome constraints in advanced node manufacturing by stacking and linking existing chips more efficiently.