Microsoft’s upcoming Maia AI chip is now expected to experience a delay of at least six months, with mass production set to be pushed back to 2026, according to a report by The Information citing sources familiar with the situation.
The chip, known by its code name Braga, is anticipated to significantly underperform compared to Nvidia’s Blackwell chip, which debuted late last year, the report indicated.
Initially, Microsoft planned to leverage the Braga chip in its data centers within this year. However, unforeseen design modifications, staffing shortages, and high employee turnover are reportedly contributing factors to the postponed timeline.
A request for comment from Microsoft was not immediately returned by Reuters.
Similar to other major technology companies, Microsoft has been concentrating on the development of custom processors tailored for artificial intelligence tasks and general applications, aiming to lessen its dependence on costly Nvidia components.
Competitors like Amazon and Alphabet’s Google have also been on a fast track to create their own in-house chips, designed to meet their unique requirements to enhance performance while trimming expenses.
Microsoft unveiled the Maia chip in November 2023, yet it has struggled to catch up with its rivals in scaling production.
In contrast, Google has had notable success with its custom AI chips known as Tensor Processing Units, having recently introduced its seventh-generation AI chip in April, engineered to accelerate AI application performance.
Similarly, Amazon announced its next-generation AI chip, Trainium3, in December, which is slated for release later this year.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
