Exclusive: Bitmain appoints new CEO of AI business, a graduate of Tsinghua Yao Class, continues to invest in AI chips

Wu Blockchain learned that on the evening of January 3, Bitmain issued an internal letter appointing Wang Jun as the new CEO of the AI ​​Suanfeng business line.

Wang Jun graduated from Tsinghua University's "Yao Class" (Tsinghua Computer Theoretical Science Experimental Class). He joined Bitmain in 2016 as technical director. He has worked in companies such as NetEase, Google, and Baidu. He is one of the pioneers of Bitmain's AI computing business.

Recently, Bitmain is facing the pressure of halving and is carrying out a round of personnel optimization. It is reported that AI is being optimized to a greater extent. The appointment of the new CEO means that the company still has hope for AI. Wu Jihan once said that AI was the first project he proposed to start.

It is reported that this is the first time that Bitmain has established a number one CEO position for its AI business line. Previously, all types of president positions were only nominal or required to attend events.

Bitmain's AI business was launched in 2016. It has worked together in the cloud and terminals, successfully taped out and mass-produced the cloud AI chips BM1680, BM1682, BM1684 and the terminal AI chip BM1880, and created supporting boards, modules and servers. From the perspective of product scale, it is second only to Huawei in China.

When Bitmain was optimizing its personnel at the end of 2018, it successfully raised funds by introducing a joint venture partner for its Suanfeng terminal chip; however, in 2019, it was rejected by Zhan Ketuan when it introduced a joint venture partner for its cloud chip. After Zhan Ketuan was dismissed by Wu Jihan and relieved of all his duties, it is still highly likely that he will introduce a joint venture partner in the future.

Regarding the revenue of Suanfeng's AI business, Zhan Ketuan once said that it is expected to reach 100 million yuan in 2019. According to insiders, giants from all walks of life are planning AI chips. Bitmain's AI chips have independent intellectual property rights and a complete product line, so it is more likely to introduce external investors. On the other hand, if the price of the currency rebounds, the strategy of using mining machines to support AI can also continue to be implemented.