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Today’s rundown:

• Longhorn Supercomputer: Inside UT’s new generative AI computing cluster

• Caterpillar proves hydrogen backup concept by powering Microsoft data center

• Big Deals: Nvidia hedges against US-China sanctions with Singtel collab, Intel and UMC to launch desert chip foundry

• What’s More: 📢 Great Podcast Alert, a new perspective on Nvidia, and all the nuclear waste

Est. read time: 5mins 04secs

UT’s new computing cluster will be aimed at health questions

University of Texas at Austin will be the new home to one of the most powerful artificial intelligence supercomputer clusters in the academic world.

Biosci, healthcare, and more

The cluster, named Vista, will be part of UT’s new Center for Generative AI and is expected to be up and running in the Spring.

Made up of 600 NVIDIA H100 GPUs, the supercomputer will focus on biosciences, healthcare, computer vision, and natural language processing.

Its first tasks will be reading MRIs and creating new vaccines.

When asked about the benefits of developing AI models in academia, vs the private sector, UT’s Machine Learning Laboratory Director Adam Klivans said, “If these models are developed in a university setting, where the data sets and the models are made open, and the process is transparent, then you can guarantee a lot more safety and interpretability of the models that you eventually deploy.”

Considering some of what we’re seeing come out of OPENAI, this transparency is very welcome.

Frontera

The University of Texas has one of the strongest foundations in artificial intelligence in the world.
Its Machine Learning Laboratory is also home to the Frontera system, a $60 million supercomputer, ranked last year as the fastest academic computing system in the world.

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Caterpillar proves its hydrogen backup concept

Caterpillar Inc., in partnership with Microsoft and Ballard Power Systems, has successfully demonstrated the potential of hydrogen fuel cells as a workable backup power source for data centers.

This groundbreaking project was announced in 2021 and conducted at Microsoft's data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Key aspects of the demonstration include:

• Showcased the ability of a 1.5 MW hydrogen fuel cell to maintain critical operations under harsh conditions over a 48-hour period.

• Validated the hydrogen fuel cell power system’s performance at 6,086 ft above sea level and in below-freezing conditions.

• The use of a Caterpillar Microgrid Controller to manage the integration of the hydrogen fuel cell with two Cat Power Grid Stabilization (PGS) 1260 battery energy storage systems.

What’s more:

The project was spearheaded by CAT, who provided the system integration, power electronics, and microgrid controls that form the core framework of the hydrogen system.

“This successful collaboration with Microsoft and Ballard demonstrates the potential of hydrogen fuel cells to help data centers address their critical power needs while reducing their emissions,” said Jaime Mineart, senior vice president of Caterpillar Electric Power.

Finally, the project was partially funded by the DOE’s H2@Scale initiative, which is a government program that focuses on affordable hydrogen production and utilization across multiple sectors.
During the demonstration, the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab analyzed the demonstration’s safety, techno-economics and greenhouse gas impacts.

- Big Deals -

Nvidia hopes to bolster against US-China sanctions with Singtel partnership

Nvidia has partnered with Singtel to enhance its Southeast Asian data centers with advanced AI capabilities.

Through this collaboration, Singtel will provide access to Nvidia's GPUs, allowing clients to leverage powerful AI technologies for their digital services without the need to invest in costly hardware.
This move comes amid a surging demand for Nvidia's chips, which are crucial for processing data-heavy tasks, and a global shortage that has driven up prices, as reported by Nikkei Asia.

Nvidia, facing challenges from U.S. sanctions on semiconductor technology in China, is keen on expanding its global footprint. 

Analysts see a potential $1 trillion market opportunity in AI for Nvidia, driven by significant investments from major tech firms.

Singtel's foray into AI-ready data centers is an attempt to capture the same market.
The company is actively expanding its data center operations across the region, including Thailand, Indonesia, and potentially Japan, following a corporate restructuring and investment from KKR to fuel further growth.

 Read more here

Intel is partnering with UMC on new chip foundry in the desert

Intel is collaborating with United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) to create a 12nm semiconductor process platform, targeting high-growth areas such as communication infrastructure and networking.

This initiative will be driven by Intel Foundry Services (IFS) at Intel’s Ocotillo Technology Fabrication site in Arizona, with production anticipated to start in 2027. 
The collaboration aims to leverage UMC's expertise in RF and WiFi technologies, and UMC will also facilitate the go-to-market strategy for this new process node.

This partnership reflects Intel's commitment to the global semiconductor supply chain and its ambition to become the world’s second-largest foundry by 2030. Despite Intel's mixed financial results in 2023, this move with UMC is expected to bolster Intel's positioning in the semiconductor industry, particularly through the expansion of its foundry services.

Read more here

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- Taylor