Google's custom AI chips are about to leave Google's own data centers. On Tuesday, Google and Oracle announced that Oracle cloud customers will be able to use Google's chips starting next year. The companies said it is the first time these chips have been offered on another big cloud company's platform.
What changed
The chips are called TPUs, short for Tensor Processing Units. Google began building them more than a decade ago to power search and other products. Earlier this year, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang downplayed the threat, saying TPU growth was "100% Anthropic," the AI company behind the Claude assistant. The Oracle deal shows demand reaching beyond one customer.
Anthropic itself is a huge buyer. In its IPO paperwork filed this week, it said it plans to spend $114.5 billion on Google computing from April 2026 to July 2033. It also uses chips from Amazon, AMD and Nvidia, so it is spreading its bets.
Who else is interested
OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, has a job listing for a software engineer to optimize its models for TPUs. The Information also reported Tuesday that OpenAI plans to buy TPUs from Google. OpenAI and Nvidia did not respond to requests for comment, and Google declined to comment.
The numbers
- Mizuho projects Google TPU revenue of $28 billion in 2026 and $67 billion in 2027.
- Mizuho says it could reach as high as $100 billion in 2028.
- TD Cowen's John Blackledge projects $138 billion in 2028, or 34% of Google Cloud revenue.
These are analyst forecasts, not results. Nvidia is still far ahead. It reported $96.2 billion in revenue in its previous quarter alone, and its share price stayed flat on Wednesday. Some analysts think the market is underestimating Google.
What it means for you
Most people will never buy an AI chip. But the cost of running AI shows up in the price of the tools you use or pay for. If more companies mix chips from several suppliers, it could weaken Nvidia's ability to set prices. Over time, that competition could help keep AI costs in check.
That is a possibility, not a promise. Anthropic did not say how much of its Google spending will go to TPUs specifically. Nothing in the reporting says prices for AI tools will fall, or when.
The takeawayMore companies are buying AI chips from Google as well as Nvidia, and that competition could eventually help keep the cost of AI tools down.