AI / TECH

Qualcomm and Amazon Partner on AI Chips Tied to Up to $60B: Will Nvidia's Monopoly Be Shaken?

Qualcomm and Amazon will jointly develop multi-generation custom semiconductors for AI inference and 1.6T-class optical interconnect solutions. The $60 billion figure is not a confirmed Amazon purchase order, but a maximum payout tied to the phased vesting of Qualcomm warrants. Despite AWS custom chip revenues exceeding an annual run rate of $25 billion, AWS is broadening its procurement portfolio by adding an external custom chip supplier. While Nvidia's position is unlikely to be shaken in the short term, the expansion of the inference market and the growth of hyperscaler custom chips are long-term variables. Opportunities may arise for South Korean memory, foundry, and optical interconnect companies, but Qualcomm's manufacturing and memory suppliers for Amazon-bound chips have not yet been disclosed.