Definition
CUDA is Nvidia’s proprietary parallel computing platform and programming model that dominates AI accelerator software. Competing stacks (Huawei CANN, Moore Threads, Alibaba T-Head SAIL) seek to reduce CUDA lock-in.
Key Points
- Most AI frameworks historically target CUDA first
- Software-layer lock-in can outlast hardware availability under export controls
- July 2026: Alibaba T-Head open-sourced SAIL for Zhenwu as CUDA-alternative narrative