Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment · 28 January 2026

Microsoft unveils second-generation Maia 200 AI chip to challenge Nvidia

Exam-focused facts from the 28 January 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • Microsoft rolled out the Maia 200, its second-generation in-house AI chip, online this week in a data center in Iowa with a second site planned in Arizona.
  • The Maia 200 is manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) using 3-nanometer technology and incorporates high-bandwidth memory and substantial SRAM for AI workloads.
  • Microsoft will provide software tools including Triton—an open-source contribution from OpenAI—to program the Maia 200, directly competing with Nvidia’s CUDA platform.
  • Google, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and other major cloud providers are also developing proprietary chips that increasingly compete with Nvidia’s offerings.

View this story in the full daily briefing

Earlier coverage selected by topic similarity to help connect developments over time.

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