Google is currently in discussions with Marvell Technology to create two new AI chips, including a memory processing unit and an inference-optimized Tensor Processing Unit (TPU). This move adds Marvell as a third design partner alongside Broadcom and MediaTek in Google's custom silicon supply chain. The negotiations follow Broadcom's recent long-term agreement with Google for TPU design and supply through 2031. Google's strategy appears to focus on diversifying its chip design partnerships rather than replacing existing ones. The newly designed chips are expected to enhance Google's capacity for inference, which has become a significant cost factor as the custom ASIC market is projected to grow substantially in the coming years.
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AI InferenceTPUChip DesignCustom Silicon
Google Explores Partnership with Marvell to Develop Custom AI Inference Chips
The Next Web AI· Alina Maria Stan· Monday, April 20, 2026
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Stanford AI Index Reveals China Nears US in AI Performance Despite Lower Investment
The 2026 AI Index Report from Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence indicates that the performance gap between leading American and Chinese AI models has narrowed to 2.7%, down from 17.5-31.6 percentage points in May 2023. This shift occurs despite the US investing 23 times more in private AI funding, totaling $285.9 billion compared to China's $12.4 billion. The report highlights China's dominance in AI patents, publications, and industrial robot installations. Notably, the leading AI model, Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.6, achieved an Arena score of 1,503, while ByteDance's Dola-Seed-2.0-Preview scored 1,464. The findings raise questions about whether the US's financial advantage is essential to maintaining its leadership in AI development.