With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, GPUs are increasingly widely used in the AI field as computing cores. As a leader in the GPU market, NVIDIA's CUDA platform has a pivotal position in the industry. However, recently Nvidia has launched a new software program in CUDA Software 116 and later versions of the end user license agreement (EULA) made in the new provisions, but have aroused widespread attention in the artificial intelligence and chip industry at home and abroad. This change may not only affect the relationship between NVIDIA and its competitors, but also pose a challenge to the development of third-party GPU companies.
CUDA, a software platform launched by NVIDIA, has become the standard for many GPU-accelerated applications since its inception in 2006. Its unique programming language and programming model greatly reduce the complexity of using GPU to process data, making it easier for developers to use GPU computing power for programming and fine-tuning. Therefore, the CUDA platform has been widely used in artificial intelligence development, scientific computing and other fields, attracting the attention of a large number of researchers and developers.
In this context, Nvidia's competitors have chosen to be compatible with CUDA on their GPU chips in order not to change user habits as much as possible. This compatibility strategy not only helps to maintain user stickiness, but also helps to improve the market competitiveness of one's own products. However, the regulations made by Nvidia in the new version of the EULA for CUDA software seem to be trying to change that.
The new rule clearly states: "You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any results generated by this SDK and translate them on non-NVIDIA platforms." This statement has attracted widespread attention in the market. Some industry insiders interpret that Nvidia is tightening its policy and does not allow the hardware of third-party GPU companies to be compatible with CUDA software. This change will undoubtedly have a big impact on third-party GPU companies that rely on the CUDA ecosystem.
However, there are also people in the industry who have a different view on this. They argue that Nvidia's development tools are not allowed to be used on non-Nvidia products in their own right, and that the new rules only re-emphasize this. In addition, it makes sense for Nvidia to tighten its grip on CUDA as competitors such as Intel and AMD launch their own software platforms, such as OneAPI and ROCM, in an attempt to attract Nvidia's customers.
In the domestic market, some domestic GPU manufacturers have also adopted a CUDA-compatible strategy to ensure that there are no obstacles when migrating NVIDIA products. These vendors believe that CUDA, as a widely recognized standard in the industry, is of great significance for attracting users and maintaining user stickiness. Therefore, they chose to be compatible with CUDA in the short term in order to better meet the needs of users.
However, some domestic GPU manufacturers have begun to cultivate their own software ecosystems. For example, Moore Threads launched the "MUSA" software architecture based on its GPU products. The architecture has no dependency on CUDA and aims to provide users with more autonomous and flexible computing solutions. Moore Threads said that its MUSA architecture will bring a new computing experience to users and is expected to become a new standard in the industry in the future.
In the face of the challenge of NVIDIA's CUDA new policy, domestic GPU companies are also actively responding. Some companies said they would strengthen communication and cooperation with partners to jointly explore market opportunities under new technology conditions. At the same time, they will also increase R&D efforts and promote the improvement of independent innovation capabilities to cope with possible technical barriers and market changes in the future.
Overall, the launch of Nvidia's CUDA new deal has undoubtedly brought a lot of shock to the entire industry. For third-party GPU companies, how to actively respond to the challenges and opportunities under new technologies while maintaining user stickiness will become an important topic for their future development. At the same time, this will also promote the entire industry to usher in new changes and breakthroughs in technological innovation and market competition.
In this context, we look forward to seeing more domestic GPU manufacturers rise to the challenge, increase independent innovation, and promote the healthy development of the entire industry. At the same time, it is also expected that leading companies such as NVIDIA can maintain their competitiveness while being more open and inclusive to competitors and partners, and jointly promote the prosperity and progress of the entire GPU market.
Finally, for the majority of users, the launch of NVIDIA's CUDA new policy will also bring them more diverse choices. In the future, with the advent of more GPU products with independent innovation capabilities, users are expected to enjoy a more efficient and convenient computing experience. At the same time, it will also stimulate the emergence of more innovative applications and promote the sustainable development of artificial intelligence and the chip industry.