Intel Gaudi2 accelerator
This story was updated on September 21 based on input from Intel:
With the goal of building the most powerful AI supercomputer in Europe, Intel has formed an alliance with Stability AI, a London-based artificial intelligence- startup.
Announced at this week’s Intel Innovation 2023 conference in San Jose, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said the system will utilize thousands of Intel Gaudi2 accelerator GPUs and Intel Xeon CPUs. And given the remarks directed at the GPU “market leader,” the Intel chief has fired a warning shot againt NVIDIA, the current GPU dominator with approximately a 90 percent GPU market share.
“Our Intel Gaudi processors are demonstrating performance capabilities rivaling the market leader,” and even the largest, most challenging AI and generative AI problems are being delivered and executed on our Gaidi processor,” Gelsinger said. “And we’re not only rivaling the market leader but at much better TCO.”
Gelsinger’s targeted remarks come at a time when NVIDIA continues to develop formidable chips, such as the Grace Hopper GH200 Superchip, combining Arm-based CPU and NVIDIA GPU technology, scheduled for availability next year. NVIDIA A100 and H100 GPUs, instrumental to unlocking the power of generative AI and large language models, have, in turn, created more demand from cloud services providers, hyperscalers, supercomputing centers, researchers and enterprise customers than NVIDIA can keep up with.
With demand for GPUs so strong, there are opportunities for alternative GPU suppliers – if they can manufacture them while also keeping up technologically with NVIDIA. This is the tall order Intel has set for itself.
The Intel chief said Stability AI is an “anchor customer,” and he described the AI supercomputer as “an enormous build-out” that he said will be a top 15 AI supercomputer in the world.
Gelsinger also said Intel will collaborate with Dell Technologies on AI solutions, and he shared this statement from Jeff Clarke, vice chairman and COO of Dell:
“Dell Technologies and Intel are collaborating to offer AI solutions to meet customers wherever they are on their AI journey,” said Jeff Clarke vice chairman and COO, Dell Technologies. “Combining the reliability of Dell PowerEdge servers – the industry’s top selling portfolio – with Intel technology for general-purpose and accelerated compute provides power systems for optimized AI. PowerEdge systems with Xeon and Gaudi will support AI workloads ranging from large scale training to base level inferencing. We look forward to helping customers transform their business with new applications with this powerful combination.”
