Amazon Web Services offers $110 million in credits to boost AI research with custom chips

Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced it will provide $110 million in credits for researchers to use its custom AI chips, Trainium. This initiative aims to compete with Nvidia's dominance in the AI computing market. AWS plans to make 40,000 Trainium chips available to researchers, including those from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California, Berkeley. This move comes as AWS faces increased competition from Microsoft in the cloud computing sector. Unlike Nvidia, which relies on its proprietary software, AWS will allow customers to program its chips directly. This strategy targets large clients seeking to optimize performance and reduce costs in their AI projects.