Google has announced the expansion of its in-house chip efforts with the introduction of Axion, an Arm-based data center processor aimed at enhancing AI performance. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Axion chip could offer up to 30% better performance over its Arm-based rivals and is set to be launched to cloud customers later in 2024. This initiative is part of Google's broader strategy to reduce its reliance on outside vendors for critical technology components, marking a significant move in the competitive AI technology sector. The company's stock ($GOOGL) saw a +0.6% increase in pre-market trading following the announcement. The development has been viewed as a costly but necessary step in the ongoing AI battle among tech giants.