OpenAI's Hardware Chief Discusses Jalapeño Chip Design and AI-Driven Engineering
Tom's Hardware Premium has released an extensive interview with OpenAI's hardware VP Richard Ho about the company's Jalapeño inference ASIC, developed with Broadcom and unveiled at Hot Chips 2026.
This week brought substantial editorial output to Tom's Hardware Premium, anchored by a special AI Chip Design Week initiative that explores how machine learning is transforming semiconductor manufacturing. The outlet has made all articles in this themed series available at no cost through Monday, October 5, providing readers with extended access to the collection.
The centerpiece of the week's coverage is a comprehensive interview with Richard Ho, vice president of hardware at OpenAI. Ho discusses Jalapeño, an inference ASIC developed jointly with Broadcom that OpenAI introduced earlier this year at the Hot Chips 2026 conference. The conversation covers the role artificial intelligence played in the chip's design methodology, the device's performance advantages relative to Nvidia offerings, and clarifications regarding misconceptions about its optimization scope. The piece presents a complete, unredacted transcript of the full interview.