Warship of Great Power

Loongson Corporation.

"Mr. Qin, we have discovered this situation since last year. Because our chips have developed too fast, they have gradually exceeded the needs of customers." Mr. Ni said with embarrassment on his face: "Our advanced chips, customers It’s simply unusable. Now, what we sell on the market is Loongson 5. The main frequency of this kind of processor is as high as 5GHZ, which ordinary customers can’t use at all.”

Loongson-5 was once the flagship processor and was not put into the civilian market at all. It was used for various domestic advanced equipment, such as the 055 large drive. In order to meet the needs of intercepting ballistic missiles, Loongson-5 was installed. However, with the development of Loongson After the development of No. 6 was successful, Loongson No. 5 began to be put on the market.

However, Loongson-5 is not as popular as before. Its powerful computing power can support military use, but many militaries dare not use it. Just like the United States, do they dare to use Loongson processors on their weapons and equipment? Of course I don't dare. If there is something like a backdoor on this processor, can their weapons and equipment still be under their control?

I don't dare to use it for military purposes, but not for civilian use. After all, you can just buy a computer and use it when copying it, but you don't need it in daily life!

If you spend a lot of money to buy a computer, and then you are surprised to find that you can't use even 1% of the processor's performance, is it still necessary?

The performance of the previous Loongson 4 processor was sufficient!

Under this situation, the processor naturally began to have overcapacity. Everyone felt that there was no need to continue to update their computers. Now it is very smooth!

"Yes, with the development of technology, chips will have overcapacity sooner or later." Qin Tao nodded. He was mentally prepared for this situation.

Looking at future generations, a domestic assembly factory once claimed that its computer production was the first in the world, but what next? The computer era has passed, and the mobile phone era has emerged. Many functions of computers can be done by mobile phones, so computers began to be unsaleable, and the assembly plant also began to go downhill.

And mobile phones have not been popular for many years. After all, when the market becomes saturated, especially when people’s pockets start to shrink, it will be impossible to replace mobile phones frequently. No matter how the mobile phone manufacturers fool, people will not be able to follow their assumptions. Change a cell phone every year. How much money does it cost to replace a kitchen knife with a kitchen basin?

Any market will gradually become saturated.

The computer market has begun to become saturated, what should we do?

Although the shipment volume of mobile phone chips is still large, and although Dongfang is still a strong player in this field, Mr. Ni is still very worried. After all, Loongson Company started with computers, and they do not want to see computers. The market is gradually shrinking, and computer products are gradually being marginalized.

But they couldn't think of any other way, so they could only throw this problem to Qin Tao. Qin Tao must be smarter and more visionary than them.

"At present, our Loongson-6 is mainly pursuing multi-core and improving multi-tasking processing capabilities. However, because our processor is too advanced, the performance is definitely excessive." Qin Tao began to analyze: "So, the research and development of the processor The process can be slowed down without premature replacement. At the same time, we need to launch some low-priced products to expand market share.”

Loongson has always been high-end, and the price is naturally not low. After all, only when the price is high enough can there be enough profits to invest in research and development. The price of the chip cannot be calculated based on the value of the sand.

As for the low-end market, it is left to the likes of Intel to survive.

Since the high-end market is already saturated, let’s develop towards the low-end!

"The market for processors priced at one to two thousand or even higher is definitely limited. We can reduce the price to a few hundred yuan. For example, for a processor that costs more than 100 yuan, the price of the entire computer can be reduced to one." At about a thousand yuan, computers can be put into thousands of households, and even those in Africa who live in mud houses can afford them.”

Mr. Ni nodded: "This is a way."

"At the same time, in order not to affect the premium capability of our Loongson, we can give it another name or another series. Loongson is still high-end, and this newly launched product focuses on the low-end market."

Mr. Ni nodded.

"Of course, this is not enough. We still need to explore new markets. Although the performance of general-purpose processors is excessive, the performance of graphics processors will never be excessive. In the future, we will vigorously develop graphics processors."

Mr. Ni looked at Qin Tao in surprise: "Use a graphics processor instead of a general-purpose processor?"

"Yes, they are different, and the objects that need to be calculated are also very different."

In the earliest days, computers only displayed characters. At this time, no special graphics card was needed. Just a character conversion circuit was enough. Later, when entering the graphical interface, the graphics card was required to be responsible for the conversion. In the 3D era, a large number of graphics displays require graphics cards. Auxiliary.

Specifically, for example, when playing a shooting game, how the characters in the game hold up the gun, how the bullets aim, fire, and the ballistics are all calculated by a general-purpose processor.

However, in order for the gun to show a metallic texture, the surface needs to be rendered, and the special effects of the bullet flying out need to be rendered. When the bullet hits the human body on the opposite side, how the blood shoots out, and how the other side reacts, all require graphics cards to calculate.

Therefore, the emergence of graphics cards will make games more realistic. As the pictures become more and more beautiful, the computing power required by the graphics card will become more and more powerful. As for the general-purpose processor? As long as you can calculate basic things, the graphics are all enhanced by the graphics card.

If the graphics card is not powerful, the screen may freeze, giving you the worst experience.

Over the years, the performance of display devices has continued to improve. At first it was only 800*600 resolution, and then gradually increased to 1024*768 resolution, and then 1080P, which is 1920*1080, and later 2K. With 4K, the resolution is getting higher and higher, and the performance of the graphics card required is getting stronger and stronger.

The refresh rate of games will also become higher and higher. In the past, 30 frames was enough, but now it requires 60 frames, or even more than 100 frames...

"Mr. Qin, are you talking about playing games? We..."

Mr. Ni is engaged in chips, so he naturally hopes that the chip market will become bigger and bigger. However, Mr. Ni also has a bottom line. Of course, he knows that if he continues to promote games in order to sell chips, especially those students who have no self-control. The game will definitely harm them.

Therefore, Mr. Ni does not want to promote the game, especially without a bottom line.

"Games are only part of it, and more importantly..." Qin Tao thought for a while: "Do you know our future city?"

Mr. Ni nodded: "I know."

Future City is an important project of Mingzhou Group. The construction of the city is designed according to the future. It is very tall and full of science fiction, etc... Mr. Qin will not talk casually. Does he mean to express his words by saying this? Will a large number of chips be needed in the future?

"The future city is very smart, and this intelligence needs to be based on a lot of calculations, and parallel computing is more convenient."

In later generations, artificial intelligence has become very popular and has penetrated into all aspects of society. When you buy a ticket, commonly used software will quote you a high price. If you are a novice, you will be given a low price. This involves big data calculations.

Big data is still a very low-level type. Advanced artificial intelligence can no longer tell the difference between true and false. In the past, when an acquaintance borrowed money from WeChat, he could confirm the authenticity by making a video call, but with artificial intelligence As it develops, what you see with your eyes may not be real anymore, but may be synthesized by artificial intelligence.

This kind of artificial intelligence does not rely on people to imitate, but relies on independent learning. When it sees a human face, it will analyze it, build a relevant model, and then perform calculations. In this process, programmers do not need to make any intervention. .

When it comes to model building and learning, parallel computing will be involved. These are data-intensive and computing-intensive operations, and parallel computing is the best algorithm.

If you want to use parallel computing, a graphics card is the most suitable.

A single-core general-purpose processor can only queue up tasks one by one. Although it seems that it can handle multiple programs at the same time, it can still take care of PPt's work while opening QQ and watching movies. In fact, There is only one processor, which queues up different task processing requirements.

Multi-core processors also have several cores that can process several at the same time. The number of processors is only ten or eight, which is not too much.

Graphics processors are very different.

There are hundreds or thousands of processing units in the graphics card. The common 980Ti has 2816 units, the 1080Ti has 3584 units, and the more powerful 4080 graphics card has 14,000 units.

Each processing unit is very weak and can only process some simple data. However, with so many processing units working in parallel, the computing power is quite powerful!

It is precisely because of this advantage that graphics cards have become the main tool for parallel computing and a powerful assistant for artificial intelligence. In order to research artificial intelligence, various companies often use hundreds or thousands of graphics cards to perform calculations.

Do you still have to worry about a surplus of chips? Graphics cards never go out of style!

After hearing Qin Tao's introduction, Mr. Ni gradually relaxed.

"Next, in order to seize the commanding heights of science and technology in the future, we will vigorously develop artificial intelligence technology. Goose Factory will be responsible for the software, and our Loongson Company will be responsible for the hardware. We will develop more powerful graphics processors to serve scientific research and people's lives. ”

Mr. Ni nodded: "Okay, Mr. Qin, if you say this, I feel relieved. We will develop more display chips in the future and strive to achieve rapid development in artificial intelligence in our country!"

play games? Mr. Ni doesn’t want to provide advanced chips for gamers, but for scientific research, it is necessary!

"In the future, artificial intelligence will develop rapidly, and all high-tech companies around the world will attach importance to the use of this technology, and we will need to make some restrictions. For example, the most advanced chips can only be used by ourselves and will never be exported!"

"Yes." Mr. Ni nodded: "Just like our Loongson processor, we also use high-end processors for our own use and low-end ones for export."

"Just figure out the direction and work hard. By the way, are there any questions?"

"Mr. Qin, before you came, we thought of many ways. Some people even suggested causing factory accidents and artificially causing a shortage of chips in the market. Those are not the right ways. After listening to your arrangements, we are finally relieved." Ni The old man said: "By the way, Mr. Qin, what do you think of quantum computers?"

Factory accident? That is not the behavior of a gentleman. Of course Qin Tao will not use it. As for the quantum computer...

"Quantum computers are indeed a new research direction. After all, if our chips continue to develop, they will sooner or later encounter physical limits, and Moore's Law will also end."

Chips cannot develop indefinitely. When the process reaches 1 nanometer, it will encounter the basic law of force: quantum tunneling effect. Simply put, two close circuits will discharge and electrons will pass through them, so that the circuit cannot work normally.

At the same time, chip manufacturing requires lithography machines. The wavelength of lithography machines is also limited and cannot be continuously reduced. When the lithography machine cannot accurately etch the circuit, it will naturally reach its limit.

To break through this limit, we have to find more advanced technology, and quantum computers appear in this situation.

Unlike the chip principle of conventional computers, quantum computers use a brand-new quantum technology. Its basic unit is quantum bits, which represent 01 and 1 through two states of quantum, such as the polarization direction of photons, the spin of electrons, etc., and calculate through quantum superposition and quantum entanglement. The computing speed can far exceed that of computers built with transistors, and it will not encounter those physical limits.

In addition, another more advanced place is that this method of quantum computers is very suitable for parallel computing, so quantum computers and artificial intelligence are the best match.

"Since you are interested in this computer technology, of course you can start research." Qin Tao nodded. Now it is still far from the physical limit of the chip, but it is best to prepare for the rainy day.

When new technology replaces old technology, it will experience many twists and turns, just like electric cars replacing fuel cars will cause a counterattack from fuel car companies. Quantum computers will replace conventional computers and will also encounter this problem. If conventional computer manufacturers are to develop it, it will be different.

"Okay, then should we study it secretly, or..."

"Quantum computers can be studied secretly. We can announce this artificial intelligence, and we can also add it to our future city project."

High-end artificial intelligence must be used in the future city. Everyone who enters the future city will be managed by artificial intelligence. When you walk to the gate of the community, the door will open automatically. When you walk into the house, the water heater will be ready. How high-end!

"Yeah." Old Ni nodded.

A few days later, Loongson Company held a press conference.

"Our Loongson Company will set up a special artificial intelligence research and development center. We believe that this technology can benefit mankind!" Old Ni stood on the rostrum and talked to countless cameras.

"First of all, let me introduce to you what artificial intelligence is. This technology is based on computer science and integrates interdisciplinary disciplines such as psychology and philosophy. It is mainly used to simulate, extend and expand human intelligence. Through these studies, intelligent machines that respond in a similar way to human intelligence are created."

Now, Loongson is already a leader in high technology. It can not only develop advanced machines, but also formulate various concepts.

Artificial intelligence is proposed by Loongson!

"Are you going to develop robots?" A reporter asked below.

"In many science fiction novels, there are robots that are exactly the same as humans, but we don't have to develop machines that look like humans. What we study is thinking, machines that think in the way we humans think." Mr. Ni said: "For example, language recognition, image recognition, language processing, etc. are the primary forms of this kind of artificial intelligence."

Artificial intelligence sounds very high-end, but it can actually be explained very simply. You say hello to him, he also says hello to you, you ask questions, he answers, and they are all based on human ideas. This is artificial intelligence.

For example, those intelligent customer service, if they don't answer according to pre-set answers, but can analyze customers' questions and then find the most appropriate answers, this is artificial intelligence.

It is even possible to let two artificial intelligences talk to each other, chat for a day and a night, and the words they say can still be normal. This is a qualified artificial intelligence.

With Mr. Ni's speech, the topic of artificial intelligence research and development instantly became a hot topic around the world.

Some media expressed support.

"Our future world must be intelligent. With artificial intelligence to help us, we can make the future world better!"

"In the future, if you are lonely, you can find artificial intelligence to accompany you!"

"Except for having children, artificial intelligence can do anything!"

The topic began to deviate here.

Some people also expressed concerns.

"Artificial intelligence will be the most dangerous technology of our century. This technology will lead to the extinction of mankind!"

This statement is a bit sensational.

Looking at this argument, Qin Tao sneered.

"This is because they are afraid of our technological progress, so they will exaggerate the dangers of our technology. If they were the first to propose this technology, they would publicize how advanced their technology is."

"Yes, these people have no ability, so they will be jealous of others." Zhang Dong, the person in charge of Tencent, spoke up. He received Qin Tao's news and rushed to report on his work.

"However, Mr. Qin, this should be in the software field. We can just leave it to Tencent. Isn't Loongson a hardware company?"

Over the years, Tencent has developed a lot of software, especially intelligent driving on cars and airplanes. In his eyes, this is the scope of artificial intelligence, so this artificial intelligence should still be a project of Tencent!

"You have more important things to do." Qin Tao said: "Compared with it, artificial intelligence is just pediatrics. If it works well, we can be more powerful than Soros!"