Microsoft’s Maia AI Chip Delayed to 2026, Report Says
Microsoft is facing a significant delay in the production of its next-generation Maia AI chip, codenamed Braga, pushing its mass rollout from 2025 to 2026, according to a report. The delay is reportedly due to unanticipated design changes, staffing shortages, and high employee turnover, citing three people directly involved in the project.
Microsoft’s Custom AI Chip to Lag Behind Nvidia’s Blackwell
When the Braga chip eventually enters production, insiders say it is expected to fall short in performance when compared to Nvidia’s Blackwell chip, which was launched in late 2024. Originally, Microsoft aimed to deploy Braga across its Azure data centres in 2025, positioning it as a critical component in powering AI applications and reducing reliance on expensive Nvidia GPUs.
Microsoft introduced the Maia chip in November 2023, but the project has struggled to keep pace with industry leaders like Google and Amazon in scaling custom AI silicon.
Microsoft Lags Behind Amazon and Google in Custom AI Chip Development
Major cloud providers are increasingly focused on developing in-house chips to cut costs and boost AI performance:
- Google has seen strong adoption of its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), with its 7th-generation AI chip unveiled in April 2025.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) revealed Trainium3, its next-gen AI training chip, in December 2024, expected to roll out later this year.
In contrast, Microsoft’s Braga chip delay leaves the company behind its Big Tech competitors in the AI hardware race.
Why Microsoft Is Building Custom AI Chips
Microsoft’s push to develop proprietary AI chips is part of a broader strategy to:
- Reduce dependency on Nvidia, whose GPUs dominate AI workloads
- Lower infrastructure costs for running large-scale AI models
- Optimise AI performance in its cloud ecosystem (Azure, Copilot, and OpenAI integrations)
Despite its efforts, the Braga delay signals ongoing internal challenges, especially as AI power requirements increase dramatically.
Final Thoughts
The delay in Microsoft’s Maia AI chip production could pose a strategic setback as the company battles rivals in the rapidly evolving AI infrastructure landscape. With Amazon and Google already deploying their next-gen chips, Microsoft must work to overcome internal hurdles and ramp up its custom chip efforts if it hopes to stay competitive in the AI arms race.
While 2026 now marks the new production target, the tech world will be watching closely to see whether Microsoft can meet this revised timeline and deliver a viable alternative to Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs.
