True, but FPGAs are suitable only for things that will not be produced in great numbers, because their cost and power consumption are many times higher than those of an ASIC.
For a company of the size of Google, the development costs for a custom TPU are quickly recovered.
Comparing a Google TPU with an FPGA is like comparing an injection-moulded part with a 3D-printed part.
Unfortunately, the difference in performance between FPGAs and ASICs has greatly increased in recent years, because the FPGAs have remain stuck on relatively ancient CMOS manufacturing processes, which are much less efficient than the state-of-the-art CMOS manufacturing processes.
For a company of the size of Google, the development costs for a custom TPU are quickly recovered.
Comparing a Google TPU with an FPGA is like comparing an injection-moulded part with a 3D-printed part.
Unfortunately, the difference in performance between FPGAs and ASICs has greatly increased in recent years, because the FPGAs have remain stuck on relatively ancient CMOS manufacturing processes, which are much less efficient than the state-of-the-art CMOS manufacturing processes.