Google expands its chipset lineup with up to 80% better inference price performance

What happened

Google has added two specialized systems to its eighth-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) lineup, targeting secure AI computing and workloads requiring massive memory capacity. The expansion gives Google four distinct TPU configurations in one generation, reflecting the growing demands of enterprise AI infrastructure. Google is an Internet and software company based in Mountain View.

The new systems, TPU 8tx and TPU 8i Max, address challenges emerging as businesses deploy autonomous AI agents (AI that carries out multi-step tasks rather than answering one question). One prioritizes confidential computing for sensitive workloads, while the other targets models handling enormous amounts of contextual information.

Google says its TPU business now serves nearly 100 customers. These include AI research labs, financial trading firms, retailers and universities.