According to Chinese media, the kit is supposedly a solid-state drive re-engineered for datacentres, claiming to eliminate the capacity limitations that plague HBM. The big idea is to offer a domestic alternative to Western-designed memory systems, which have been restricted thanks to the usual geopolitical hissy fits.

Huawei’s "AI SSD" is mostly shrouded in mystery, with few details about how it works or integrates into AI hardware stacks. What little is known suggests it will allow significantly more storage headroom for memory-intensive tasks and potentially replace the need for expensive HBM setups.

Given the restrictions facing Chinese firms like CXMT and others in obtaining advanced HBM tech, this would be a significant move. Whether it lives up to the hype is another question, but it signals yet another attempt by Huawei to untangle itself from foreign dependencies in the AI hardware space.

Until Huawei actually shows something tangible, the industry should probably treat these claims like any other bit of state-backed puffery, however it is all possible.