The hardware required to train AI models comes at a high cost, both financially and environmentally, producing millions of dollars in expenses and hundreds of tons of greenhouse gases. In response, Graphcore develops accelerator chips designed to expedite AI system training while significantly reducing power consumption.
AI accelerators like those crafted by Graphcore specialise in enhancing specific AI applications, such as artificial neural networks, deep learning, and machine learning. Utilising multicore designs and prioritising low-precision arithmetic or in-memory computing, these accelerators elevate the performance of large AI algorithms, achieving breakthrough results in natural language processing and computer vision.
Graphcore has ambitious plans to create an AI supercomputer, aiming to be one of the most powerful in its class. However, progress on this has extended beyond its planned 2024 debut, and the company was purchased by Softbank later that year. Though the acquisition by the Japanese multinational lowered Graphcore's valuation and highlighted structural problems in the local financing of UK tech pioneers, the buyout will undoubtedly aid the company in its ambitions to shape the future of AI computing.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle