The UK’s most powerful supercomputer, Bristol-based Isambard-AI, is now fully operational and launched.
Isambard-AI, run by the University of Bristol, will give researchers in the UK access to much greater levels of computing power, a significant requirement for training complex generative AI models.
With the new machine, applications ranging from more accurate cancer diagnostic research to clean energy innovations will be massively supported.
The launch also marks a return for the UK to the global top 10 nations for public supercomputing, its best ranking since 2022, as the government continues to highlight scientific research and the commercialising of new technologies as the key to its economic growth goals.
The UK’s compute capacity off the back of the AI Research Resource (AIRR) will increase to 420 AI exaFLOPS by 2030, described by the team behind it as the equivalent of one billion people spending 13,316 years doing what the supercomputer can do in one second.
“We put the most powerful computer system in the country into the hands of British researchers and entrepreneurs. Isambard-AI doesn’t just close the gap with our international competitors – it propels the UK to the forefront of AI discovery,” said Tech Secretary Peter Kyle.
“With our AI Research Resource now fully up and running, the UK is home to the raw computational horsepower that will save lives, create jobs, and help us reach net zero ambitions faster. ”
Researchers from University College London are already using the computer to line up AI tools to support NHS cancer screening.
“This is a pivotal moment for AI in the UK and the University of Bristol is proud to be at the heart of it. We have a long history of AI research, innovation and education and now we are home to the UK’s most powerful AI supercomputer,” said Professor Evelyn Welch, vice-chancellor and president of the University of Bristol.
“We have delivered this remarkable national facility at pace, in just under 24 months. It will expand the UK’s compute capacity fivefold, working at speeds 100,000 times faster than an average laptop. We will soon see Isambard AI deliver transformational research and breakthroughs that will ultimately improve people’s lives.”
Increasing the UK’s compute capacity is a key element of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, the Tech Department’s strategy for ensuring the country positions itself as a global leader in automation.
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