The UK's most powerful AI supercomputer, Isambard-AI, has been officially switched on at the University of Bristol. This £225 million national facility, named after Isambard Kingdom Brunel, is set to spearhead AI innovation and scientific discovery, positioning Bristol at the forefront of the global AI revolution and bolstering the UK's sovereign AI capabilities.
A New Era for UK AI
Isambard-AI, housed at the Bristol Centre for Supercomputing (BriCS) within the National Composites Centre (NCC), represents a significant leap in the UK's computing capacity. It is designed to support a wide array of applications, from accelerating automated drug discovery and climate research to developing scalable AI models for medical imaging, such as prostate cancer screening. The system is a collaborative effort between HPE, Nvidia, and the University of Bristol, with funding commitment from the UK government for five years.
Key Takeaways
Power and Performance: Isambard-AI boasts 23 exaflops of AI performance, making it the sixth-fastest supercomputer in Europe and 11th globally. It is powered by 5,448 Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips and HPE Cray EX supercomputer technology.
Energy Efficiency: The supercomputer ranks fourth on the Green500 list for energy efficiency. It utilises HPE's 100 percent fan-less, direct liquid cooling technology, reducing cooling power consumption by up to 90 percent. There are also plans to recycle waste heat for nearby homes and businesses.
National Resource: Jointly managed by the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Isambard-AI will be accessible to researchers, academics, and companies across the UK, with a focus on national priorities and supporting smaller institutions and startups.
Integration with Dawn: Isambard-AI will eventually connect with the Dawn supercomputer in Cambridge, further enhancing the UK's AI Research Resource.
Impact and Future Prospects
Professor Simon McIntosh-Smith, director of the Isambard National Research Facility, highlighted that the system was brought online in less than two years, a significantly faster timeline than typical for such projects.
Sources
Nvidia and University of Bristol debut UK's fastest AI supercomputer in sovereign AI push, Yahoo Finance
