26. February 2026
Old Tech Gets New Lease: Qualcomms Ai100 Chip Scores Major Deployment Despite Being Six Years Outdated
Qualcomm’s 2019-vintage AI100 Chip Scores Major Deployment, but is it Too Little, Too Late?
The rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer chips has seen Qualcomm secure a significant deployment of its 2019-era AI100 chip. The announcement by Humain, a Saudi Arabian outfit, marks a major milestone for the Snapdragon maker. However, with the technology now over six years old, one cannot help but wonder if it’s already too late to make a lasting impact.
The AI100 chip, which was first unveiled in 2019, has been available as a drop-in card since mid-2023. Initially, it was touted for its power efficiency and suitability for inference tasks. Nevertheless, with the advent of more modern architectures, the AI100’s limitations have become increasingly apparent. Its small memory capacity, capped at 128 GB in the Ultra variant, restricts the size of the models it can run, reportedly only supporting those with up to 32B parameters. In comparison, contemporary reasoning models use tens of times that amount.
Humain’s decision to deploy 1,024 AI100 chips is a significant one, and it raises questions about whether Qualcomm was too late to the party. Even if Humain opted for the available technology due to delayed deliveries from other manufacturers, such as OpenAI and Oracle, it remains unclear what made this particular choice. Were they seeking cost savings or simply willing to compromise on performance? The lack of clarity surrounding this decision only adds to the sense that Qualcomm may be struggling to keep up with its competitors.
The recent partnerships announced by Humain in May 2025 are a significant development in the AI chip landscape. The Saudi outfit has partnered with Nvidia, AMD, and Qualcomm, earmarking 18,000 of Nvidia’s GB300 Grace Blackwell accelerators and 500 MW worth of compute capacity from AMD wares. Additionally, Adobe is reportedly Humain’s first AI datacenter customer, suggesting that the Qualcomm AI100 accelerators may be suitable for basic image-fill and generation tasks.
While it’s possible that Humain opted to use the available technology due to the lack of newer options, one can’t help but wonder what this says about Qualcomm’s overall strategy. The company has already announced its AI200 chip for late 2026 and AI250 for 2027, which may potentially bridge the gap between its older technology and more modern architectures.
As we move forward in an era where AI and computer chips are becoming increasingly intertwined, it will be interesting to see how Qualcomm’s strategy evolves. Will they continue to rely on older technology or invest in newer, more efficient designs? The deployment of 1,024 AI100 chips marks a significant step forward for the company, but only time will tell if it’s enough to stay competitive.
The landscape of AI chips has become increasingly crowded and competitive. Manufacturers such as Nvidia, AMD, and OpenAI have established themselves as leaders in this field, and Qualcomm must navigate this complex ecosystem to establish itself as a major player. With the company’s new chip announcements, there is still hope that it can make a meaningful impact.
In recent years, we’ve seen significant investments in AI research and development across various sectors, from healthcare to finance. As a result, the demand for specialized hardware, such as AI accelerators, has grown exponentially. Qualcomm’s 2019-era AI100 chip may have been state-of-the-art at the time of its release but is now facing stiff competition from newer, more efficient designs.
The partnerships announced by Humain are a testament to the growing importance of AI chips in the tech industry. With companies like Nvidia, AMD, and OpenAI establishing themselves as leaders in this field, it’s clear that specialized hardware will play an increasingly critical role in driving innovation forward.
For consumers, the deployment of Qualcomm’s AI100 chip marks an exciting development in the ongoing quest to make artificial intelligence more accessible and user-friendly. As AI technologies become more widespread, we can expect significant advancements in areas such as image recognition, natural language processing, and machine learning. While the AI100 chip may not be the most powerful option on the market today, its deployment by Humain represents an important step forward for Qualcomm.
In conclusion, while the deployment of 1,024 AI100 chips marks an important milestone for Qualcomm, it also raises questions about the company’s strategy and whether it’s too late to make a lasting impact in this rapidly evolving field. As we move forward, it will be essential to monitor Qualcomm’s progress and see how its technology stacks up against that of its competitors.
Innovation is key to staying ahead of the curve in the world of AI chips. With companies like Nvidia, AMD, and OpenAI establishing themselves as leaders in this field, it’s clear that specialized hardware will play an increasingly critical role in driving innovation forward.
As we move forward into an era where AI and computer chips are becoming increasingly intertwined, one thing is certain: the landscape of AI chips will continue to evolve. The deployment of 1,024 AI100 chips marks a significant step forward for Qualcomm, but only time will tell if it’s enough to stay competitive in this rapidly evolving field.