ByteDance Building Its Own CPUs on Arm and RISC-V to Power AI Infrastructure
May 28, 2026 – 8:38 am
The TikTok parent is developing custom data-centre processors on two parallel architectures as Intel and AMD push prices up 10-35% a quarter and US export controls bite, according to a Reuters report on Thursday citing people familiar with the company’s chip programme.
Background
ByteDance is pursuing two parallel design tracks, one based on Arm and another on the open-source RISC-V instruction-set architecture, while it works out which design best fits its longer-term needs. This decision comes during an unusually busy week for the company’s chip-diversification strategy.
Drivers
The drivers behind this move are both commercial and geopolitical:
- Commercial: Intel and AMD, the current suppliers of most of ByteDance’s server-CPU footprint, have significantly raised data-centre-grade processor prices in recent quarters, by up to 35%.
- Geopolitical: China’s government has been promoting RISC-V as a strategic alternative to Arm due to licensing and export control concerns.
The Dual-Track Strategy
The Arm and RISC-V dual-track signals ByteDance’s seriousness about chip development. While Arm-based server CPUs have proven success (with Amazon’s Graviton, Microsoft’s Cobalt, and Google’s Axion), RISC-V is gaining favor in China for its ability to avoid licensing fees and export controls associated with Arm’s UK-based, Softbank-owned intellectual property.
ByteDance’s Wider Chip Programme
The company has already taken several steps in its chip strategy:
- Reached an agreement with Qualcomm to supply AI data centre inference ASICs and receive assistance in bringing its own ASIC design into production.
- Followed instructions from Beijing’s National Development and Reform Commission to reject US-origin capital in funding rounds without clearance.
- Experienced travel restrictions on senior AI talent, impacting ByteDance alongside other Chinese AI firms.
Competitive Implications for Intel and AMD
ByteDance’s entry into the custom CPU market could significantly reduce demand for x86 processors from cloud providers—a trend already underway with the shift to Arm-based silicon by major hyperscalers like AWS, Microsoft, and Google.