The Debate Between GPUs and Custom ASICs

The discussion centers on the ongoing debate about the future of AI compute, particularly the roles of GPUs and custom ASICs. Some believe that custom ASICs will dominate, potentially overshadowing GPUs, while others argue that GPUs still hold significant value due to their versatility and existing infrastructure. Custom ASICs have successfully driven efficiencies in specific internal workloads for hyperscalers, yet public cloud providers may find it more beneficial to leverage GPUs due to architectural compatibility and broader software support. The complexity involved in switching to custom ASICs, including potential lock-in effects and software porting costs, raises questions about their widespread adoption in public cloud environments.