Global AI Inference Chip Indusrty Report

©2026CIC.Allrightsreserved.Thisdocumentcontainshighlyconfidentialinformationandissolelyfortheuseofourclient. Nopartofitmaybecirculated,quoted,copiedorotherwisereproducedwithoutthewrittenconsentofCIC. CICReports|GlobalAI InferenceChip Industry Report Ex ecutiveSummary TrainingandinferencearetwoprimarycomputingtasksforAIchips.Traininginvolves processing massive amounts of data andoptimizingparameters to build models before they are used inreal-lifeapplications.Asaresult,trainingwasthemainfocusduringtheearly stages of AI SoC industry development.However,as AImodels,especiallyLLMs,haveadvancedinbothperformanceandpracticality,demandshaveextended–theindustryisnowplacinggreateremphasisonreal-worldapplications,withAIinferencechipsgainingincreasingtraction. TableofContents 1.MarketOverview1.1MarketDefinition1.2MarketStructure1.3MarketSizeandGrowth2.KeyGrowthDriversandTrends2.1KeyDrivers2.2FutureOutlook CICReports|GlobalAI InferenceChip Industry Report 1.Mark etOverview 1.1MarketDefinition Asthe AI chip market is undergoing a fundamental shift from atraining-centrictoaninference-centricparadigm,thedemandforAIinferencechipsissurging. AIinferencechipsaredesignedforhighenergyefficiencyandlowlatency,enablingnear-instantaneousoutcomes. 1.2MarketStructure AIinferencechipscanbedeployedinthecloud,edge,andon-devicescenarios,witheachscenariodemandingtailoredchipdesignsfordifferentrequirements: CloudAI inference chips are typically used in data centers,responsibleforhandlinglarge-scale,high-density,andhigh-concurrencycentralizedinferencetasks.Assuch,thesechipsprioritizehighcomputing power,broad applicability,flexibility,andscalability. EdgeAIinferencechipsaredeployedinedgeservers,gateways,orbasestationsclosertodatasources.Theyperformreal-timelocalinference,which on the other hand demands a careful balance CICReports|GlobalAI InferenceChip Industry Report betweenstrong performance and power efficiency to ensure lowlatency,datasecurity,andoperationalstability. On-deviceAIinferencechipsareuseddirectlyinend-userdevices,suchasconsumerelectronicslikesmartphones,smartvehicles,andsmarthomeapplications. 1.3MarketSizeandGrowth In2024,theglobalAIinferencechipmarketreachedRMB606.7billion. Thesegmentbreakdownisasfollows: On-deviceInference:RMB291.6billion CloudInference:RMB227.5billion EdgeInference:RMB87.7billion CICReports|GlobalAI InferenceChip Industry Report In2024,theChinaAIinferencechipmarketreachedRMB160.8billion. Thesegmentbreakdownisasfollows: On-deviceInference:RMB80.4billion CloudInference:RMB48.2billion EdgeInference:RMB32.2billion Source:CICReports,interviewswithmarketparticipants,industrypublications, governmentstatistics,listedcompanies’publicfilings,news,etc. 2.KeyGrowthDriversandTrends 2.1KeyDrivers AI-enabledsmartdevicesincrease:TheglobalpenetrationrateofAI-enabledsmartdevicesgrewfromunder1%in2020to9.4%in2024,andisexpectedtoexceed44%by2030,fuelinggreaterdemandforedge-basedand on-device AI inference computing,positioningedgeand on-device AI inference chips as critical enabler of thisintelligenttransformation. Surgingdata volumes and low latency demands:Real-timeapplicationslike smart driving,robotics,and industrial controldemandmillisecond-levelprocessingthattraditionalcloudarchitecturesoften fail to deliver due to latency and bandwidthconstraints.By deploying AI inference chips directly at the edge,systemscan process data locally,enabling instant,reliable,andcoordinatedresponses.Consequently,edgeinference hasevolvedintoessential infrastructure,fueling the rapid rise of increasinglyintelligentdevices. Datacompliancedrivinglocalizedprocessing:Stricterglobaldataregulationshavetransformeddataintoahigh-stakesstrategicasset.Tobalance operational efficiency with rigorous compliance, CICReports|GlobalAI InferenceChip Industry Report enterprisesare increasingly adopting localized processing overcloud-basedtransfers.Consequently,edge and on-device AIinferencechipshaveemergedascriticalinfrastructure,providingthesecurityandclosed-loopdatahandlingnecessarytomeetmodernregulatoryrequirements. 2.2FutureOutlook GlobalAIinferencechipmarketisprojectedtoreachRMB3,069.6billionby2030,ataCAGRof31.0%(2024-2030E). China'sAIinference chip market isprojected to reachRMB 1,166.4billionby2030,ataCAGRof39.1%(2024-2030E). CICReports|GlobalAI InferenceChip Industry Report AboutCIC CICis a professional consulting firm offering tailored end-to-endsupportacrossthefullinvestmentandfinancinglifecycle.Thefirmboastsaworld-leadingtrackrecordinguidinglandmarkfirst-in-sectorIPOsacrossglobalmarkets,alongsideunrivaledreachandin-depthcoveragecapabilitiesacrossspecializednichemarketsegments. CIChelps enterprises refine scalable business models and craftcompellingcapitalnarrativestoenableseamlessaccesstoglobalcapitalmarkets,whileservingasatrustedduediligencepartnertoinvestmentinstitutions.It delivers granular industry insights anddirectaccess to subject matter experts,empowering clients toidentifyhigh-valueopportunitiesand