Google LLC has officially launched its seventh-generation tensor processing unit (TPU) called “Ironwood,” designed to power large-scale model training and high-performance inference workloads. Reports indicate these TPUs can be linked into pods numbering up to 9,216 chips, delivering performance that aims to rival leading platforms from NVIDIA Corporation. Google expects this hardware to underpin the next wave of “thinking models,” providing both improved compute efficiency and cost effectiveness for AI-driven customers. The release signals a shift by Google from software dominance into bespoke hardware, potentially reshaping the competitive dynamics in AI infrastructure