• Qualcomm declared it would return to the data center CPU market
• AI firm based in Saudi Arabia, to develop a data center CPU with Meta
• The collaboration with Nvidia and focus on energy-efficient computing underscore Qualcomm’s ambition to expand its footprint in AI

On Monday, Qualcomm declared it would return to the data center CPU market and use NVidia’s technology to connect to NVidia’s powerful AI graphics processors (GPUs). Ever since it explored this sector in the 2010s, Qualcomm has made a new start by creating an Arm-based CPU for Meta Platforms which was put on hold when the company began cost-cutting and faced challenges in the law.

Following the 2021 acquisition of some former Apple designers, the company is refocusing on making data centers. Qualcomm recently confirmed that it signed a letter of understanding with Humain, an AI firm based in Saudi Arabia, to develop a data center CPU with Meta. They will be equipped with NVidia’s technology to make it easy for the CPUs to communicate swiftly with NVidia’s AI-focused GPUs.

“With the ability to connect our custom processors to NVidia’s rack-scale architecture, we're advancing a shared vision of high-performance energy-efficient computing to the data center,” said Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm’s CEO, during a presentation at Computex in Taipei, Taiwan.

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This action reflects Qualcomm’s plan to expand outside from its main smartphone chip business, because its major client Apple is planning to use in-house modems and its rivals are turning to self-developed chips. Amon stressed that the first PC designs that use Snapdragon X Series processors, launched last year, are already on the market or in the process of being made. He confirmed that Qualcomm would unveil a new PC chip at its summit this coming September.

Qualcomm is highlighting that its chips are energy-efficient, allowing AI programs to run without needing to send tasks to distant servers in the cloud. It allows for quicker use of AI and provides better security since data is stored on the hardware. The collaboration with Nvidia and focus on energy-efficient computing underscore Qualcomm’s ambition to expand its footprint in AI and data center technologies.