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Showing posts with label Science and Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science and Technology. Show all posts

Wednesday 27 March 2024

Behind the plot to break Nvidia's grip on AI by targeting software


Big draw: Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang speaking at an industry event in California. Some big tech companies are trying to show developers how to migrate away from Nvidia’s dominance in AI. — Bloomberg

Exclusive: Behind the plot to break Nvidia's grip on AI by ...

Nvidia's grip on AI by targeting software.html

Alliance seeks to use alternative open source software 

SAN FRANCISCO: Nvidia earned its US$2.2 trillion market cap by producing artificial-intelligence (AI) chips that have become the lifeblood powering the new era of generative AI developers from startups to Microsoft, OpenAI and Google parent Alphabet .

Almost as important to its hardware is the company’s nearly 20 years’ worth of computer code, which helps make competition with the company nearly impossible. More than four million global developers rely on Nvidia’s Cuda software platform to build AI and other apps.

Now a coalition of tech companies that includes Qualcomm, Google and Intel plans to loosen Nvidia’s chokehold by going after the chip giant’s secret weapon: the software that keeps developers tied to Nvidia chips.

They are part of an expanding group of financiers and companies hacking away at Nvidia’s dominance in AI.

“We’re actually showing developers how you migrate out from an Nvidia platform,” Vinesh Sukumar, Qualcomm’s head of AI and machine learning, said in an interview with Reuters.

Starting with a piece of technology developed by Intel called OneAPI, the UXL Foundation, a consortium of tech companies, plans to build a suite of software and tools that will be able to power multiple types of AI accelerator chips, executives involved with the group told Reuters.

The open-source project aims to make computer code run on any machine, regardless of what chip and hardware powers it.

“It’s about specifically – in the context of machine learning frameworks – how do we create an open ecosystem, and promote productivity and choice in hardware,” Google’s director and chief technologist of high-performance computing, Bill Magro, said in an interview.

Google is one of the founding members of UXL and helps determine the technical direction of the project, Magro said.

UXL’s technical steering committee is preparing to nail down technical specifications in the first half of this year. Engineers plan to refine the technical details to a “mature” state by the end of the year, executives said.

These executives stressed the need to build a solid foundation to include contributions from multiple companies that can also be deployed on any chip or hardware.

Beyond the initial companies involved, UXL will court cloud-computing companies such as Amazon.com and Microsoft’s Azure, as well as additional chipmakers.

Since its launch in September, UXL has already begun to receive technical contributions from third parties that include foundation members and outsiders keen on using the open-source technology, the executives involved said.

Intel’s OneAPI is already usable, and the second step is to create a standard programming model of computing designed for AI.

UXL plans to put its resources toward addressing the most pressing computing problems dominated by a few chipmakers, such as the latest AI apps and high-performance computing applications.

Those early plans feed into the organisation’s longer-term goal of winning over a critical mass of developers to its platform.

UXL eventually aims to support Nvidia hardware and code, in the long run.

When asked about the open source and venture-funded software efforts to break Nvidia’s AI dominance, Nvidia executive Ian Buck said in a statement: “The world is getting accelerated. New ideas in accelerated computing are coming from all across the ecosystem, and that will help advance AI and the scope of what accelerated computing can achieve.”

The UXL Foundation’s plans are one of many efforts to chip away at Nvidia’s hold on the software that powers AI. Venture financiers and corporate dollars have poured more than US$4bil into 93 separate efforts, according to custom data compiled by PitchBook at Reuters’ request.

The interest in unseating Nvidia through a potential weakness in software has ramped up in the last year, and startups aiming to poke holes in the company’s leadership gobbled up just over US$2bil in 2023 compared with US$580mil from a year ago, according to the data from PitchBook.

Success in the shadow of Nvidia’s group on AI data crunching is an achievement that few of the startups will be able to achieve.

Nvidia’s Cuda is a compelling piece of software on paper, as it is full-featured and is consistently growing both from Nvidia’s contributions and the developer community. — Reuters

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The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) convened its annual conference in Boao, South China's Hainan Province on Tuesday, with officials and other participants calling for unity and cooperation in Asia and around the world to jointly tackle rising regional and global challenges, ranging from trade protectionism to geopolitical tension.

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Central bank officials and financial regulators from several Asian countries on Wednesday called for expanding currency swap arrangements through both bilateral and multilateral mechanisms to support cross-border trade and investment and reduce reliance on the US dollar, as part of the region's efforts to bolster financial safety nets and fend off risks.

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YTL AI Cloud to deploy advanced supercomputer

ts:

Washington and Nvidia should not be ‘Catch me if you can’, Chinese companies could also produce high-end products similar to Nvidia's A100...

 


Thursday 21 March 2024

YTL AI Cloud to deploy advanced supercomputer

YTL said the YTL AI Supercomputer will be located in a 664ha data centre facility in the YTL Green Data Centre Campus in Johor.

KUALA LUMPUR: YTL Power International has announced the formation of YTL AI Cloud, a specialised provider of massive-scale graphic processing unit (GPU)-based accelerated computing.

YTL AI Cloud will deploy and manage one of the world’s most advanced supercomputers on Nvidia Grace Blackwell-powered DGX Cloud, an artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputer for accelerating the development of generative AI.

In a statement yesterday, YTL said the YTL AI Supercomputer will be located in a 664-ha data centre facility in the YTL Green Data Centre Campus in Johor, powered by a renewable energy source from its on-site 500-megawatt solar power facility.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said YTL AI Cloud, the first for Malaysia, will accelerate Malaysia’s adoption of AI and spearhead the development of the country’s Sovereign Cloud.

“The collaboration with Nvidia is a testament to Malaysia’s attractiveness as a hub for digital investments,” he said.

Meanwhile, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the AI Cloud will create high-value, high-income jobs for Malaysians.

“This marks a significant step forward in our mission to become a leading AI and data centre hub in the region,” he said.

He said the initiative not only brings Malaysia closer to achieving its goals under the New Industrial Master Plan 2030, but also demonstrates Malaysia’s capability and readiness to play a significant role in the global technology landscape.

It is to be noted that YTL will be among the first companies to adopt Nvidia GB200 NVL72 – a multi-node, liquid-cooled, rack-scale system with fifth-generation NVLink.

The supercomputer will be interconnected by Nvidia Quantum InfiniBand networking platform.

The platform acts as a single GPU with 1.4 exaflops of AI performance and 30 terabytes of fast memory, and is designed for the most compute-intensive workloads.

The YTL AI Supercomputer will surpass more than 300 exaflops of AI compute, making it one of the fastest supercomputers in the world.

“There is no doubt that AI is a critical tool that will power the global digital economy,” said Digital Minister, Gobind Singh Deo.

He said having one of the most powerful Nvidia cloud computing infrastructures in Malaysia is a game changer and will spark innovation and development of solutions which are instrumental to the success of the Malaysia Digital Economy blueprint.

“Nvidia is working with YTL AI Cloud to bring a world-class accelerated computing platform to South-East Asia – helping drive scientific research, innovation and economic growth across the region,” founder and chief executive officer of Nvidia, Jensen Huang said.

The latest supercomputer marks one of the first deployments of the Nvidia GB200 Grace Blackwell Superchip on DGX Cloud, supporting the growth of accelerated computing in the Asia-Pacific region.

Meanwhile, YTL Power International managing director, Datuk Seri Yeoh Seok Hong said the group is proud to be working with Nvidia and the Malaysian government to bring powerful AI cloud computing to Malaysia.

“We are excited to bring this supercomputing power to the Asia-Pacific region, which has been home to many of the fastest-growing cloud regions and many of the most innovative users of AI in the world,” he said. — Bernama

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Tuesday 23 January 2024

China’s contribution to the global economy

 

Growth engine: An employee works on steel castings in a factory in Hangzhou, China. The country’s contribution to worldwide economic growth is approximately 30%. — AFP


IN today’s world, China occupies a pivotal position in the global economy, showcasing a unique combination of rapid economic growth, innovative strategies and global influence.

The country has evolved from a regional power to a global economic leader, making significant contributions to international affairs and economic development.

Through active participation in international organisations, development of extensive trade networks and investments in global infrastructure projects, China exerts a profound impact on the world economic system.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Chinese Premier Li Qiang articulated the key aspects of China’s economic policy and strategy.

He noted that China demonstrates sustained progress in economic development and exerts a significant influence on the global economy, serving as a vital engine of global development.

China’s contribution to global economic growth is approximately 30%, underscoring its central role in the world economic system. Li also highlighted that China achieved an economic revival with an expected gross domestic product growth of 5.2% in 2023, surpassing the initial target of 5%.

Furthermore, Li pointed out that China is the only country covering all industrial sectors classified by the United Nations, and its added value in industry accounts for about 30% of the global level.

This testifies to China’s leading position in the global industry and its ability to stimulate worldwide productivity.

China’s active participation in international organisations underscores its commitment to multilateral cooperation and global responsibility.

The recent reelection of China to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2024-2026 term at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly marks a significant milestone, affirming its influence and commitments in international affairs.

This is the sixth time China has been a member of this crucial body, demonstrating its active role in advancing global dialogue and cooperation in the field of human rights.

Furthermore, the Belt and Road Initiative, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023, stands as one of China’s most ambitious projects in global economic development.

The third forum of international cooperation under this initiative achieved 458 significant outcomes.

Chinese financial institutions allocated 780 billion yuan to finance projects associated with the initiative, facilitating the creation of close economic ties with numerous countries.

Chinese and foreign enterprises reached business cooperation agreements worth US$97.2bil, emphasising China’s role as a global economic partner and a bridge between various world regions.

China’s transportation infrastructure plays a critical role in its economic dominance. The country has established air connections with over 100 countries and regions worldwide, fostering stronger global connections and increasing trade.

The total tonnage of the fleet owned by Chinese shipowners amounts to 249.2 million gross tonnes, reflecting the scale of its maritime power.

These achievements, combined with leadership in cargo and container throughput at ports, underscore China’s strategic role in global logistics and trade.

China’s industry also exerts a significant influence on the global economy.

The country leads in many sectors, maintaining the world’s top position in industrial added value for the past 14 years.

This achievement is particularly notable given that China is the only country covering all industrial sectors classified by the United Nations.

With over 200 major industrial clusters, China boasts a large and diverse industrial system that contributes to the global distribution of production factors and enhances worldwide productivity.

The China-initiated South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, with a capital of US$4bil, serves as a key tool in supporting international development and strengthening global partnerships.

Additionally, Chinese financial institutions are preparing to launch a special fund of US$10bil aimed at implementing initiatives for global development, highlighting China’s strategic role in worldwide economic progress.

Evidence of China’s growing economic power is also seen in the significant increase in foreign investments.

From January to September 2023, 41,947 enterprises with foreign investments were established in China, representing a 32.1% increase compared to the previous year.

This reflects the attractiveness of the Chinese market to international investors and its ability to draw capital from various corners of the world.

In conclusion, China’s contribution to the global economy is multifaceted and substantial. From active participation in international organiaations and global initiatives, to leadership in the industrial and financial sectors, China demonstrates its role as a global economic leader.

Social and humanitarian efforts, along with contributions to peacekeeping missions, further underscore its commitment to cooperation and sustainable development.

The reflections of these achievements in the speeches of leaders like Li Qiang underscore China’s strategic vision and contribution to shaping the future of the global economy. — China Daily/ANN

By Azerbaijan-based journalist Seymur Mammadov is a special commentator for China Daily. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.


   
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Saturday 4 March 2023

IC designer Oppstar focuses on talent

 

Oppstar is one the few Malaysian companies in the front-end of the semiconductor industry, offering a full spectrum of IC design services. The chips we design play a prominent role ushering in a new era of digitalization and are used in various industries including telecommunication, consumer electronics, industrial electronics and automotive. 

Oppstar was founded in 2014 by three IC design industry experts, with the vision to become a preeminent global Semiconductor brand in R&D.

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“We would like to grow by double digits for our top and bottom line. our talent is our asset and our retention strategy is to pay them a competitive market rate.” Ng Meng Thai

WHILE Malaysia is known as having a strong base in the semiconductor industry, there are not many companies that operate in the higher parts of the sector’s value chain.

That is beginning to change, as a small number of companies are making a successful business out of designing integrated circuits (ICS).

IC designers, as they are called, design chips which are then tested out and manufactured by other parties.

One such IC designer in Malaysia is Oppstar Bhd, which is slated to be listed on the ACE Market in the middle of this month.

Its upcoming listing will see it raising funds mainly for the purpose of hiring more professional engineers.

This is a departure from the norm in the country’s public listing companies’ inclination where most of the funds raised would usually be channeled towards capital expenditure initiatives such as to build factory capacity or to acquire a fixed asset.

IC designers don’t need such assets as their value is in chip designing, which in turn is done by their engineering talent.

Investing in talent would help Oppstar expand its capacity to take on more projects and boost its competitive edge.

The company says it also aims to develop intellectual property (IP) assets with these new hires. The IP is meant to lead to additional income and at the same time improve its market profile.

In its prospectus, Oppstar says some of the IPS it aims to develop are for the RISC-V (or risk-five) based system on a chip. Such a system enables artificial intelligence and machine-learning applications to run on chips.

“These are technical terms in the industry but we can license these IPS separately or incorporate the IPS into future IC design projects,” Oppstar’s chief executive officer Ng Meng Thai tells Starbizweek.

The company would also like to expand into “post-silicon validation services” which would complement its IC design business.

The move would help improve its standing among its peers, says Ng, adding that all these plans would enable it to continue on its strong growth trajectory.

“We would like to grow by double digits for our top and bottom line. Our talent is our asset and our retention strategy is to pay them a competitive market rate,” Ng says.

Oppstar aims to more than double its engineering headcount to 500 from 220 presently and this effort would take up close to half of the funds or Rm50mil raised from its initial public offering (IPO).

Ng claims that demand for the company’s expertise is strong as it wants to expand its geographic reach to India, Singapore and Taiwan with the allocation of about a quarter or Rm25mil of the IPO proceeds.

“From time to time, we receive enquiries from customers. For the next three years or so, we would still need to continue to go out to find more customers to consume our capacity of 500 staff,” he says.

Its customers comprise integrated device manufacturers, fabless and fablite companies, electronic system providers and other IC design houses.

End-industries that require such expertise are the consumer electronics, telecommunications, industrial electronics and automotive sectors.

Its financials showed a gross profit margin of close to 60% and net profit margin of 33% in the financial year 2022 (FY22).

The company says its strong margins are driven by having turnkey design service projects, which command better margins when compared to specific design services.

As at the time of its prospectus issuance, Oppstar’s order book stood at Rm34.29mil, which mainly consists of turnkey design services and is expected to be recognised in the next 12 months.

With zero borrowings, Ng says the company will be in a good position to quickly capture opportunities and have these delivered to its bottom line immediately.

Notwithstanding that, retaining its talent that grants it its competitive advantage is key to its sustenance.

“We notice that younger talent are a bit different in valuing a job from what was considered as good 10 to 20 years ago, as workers then tend to value jobs from multinational companies (MNCS).

“Younger engineers surprisingly now would like to try all the different IC designs before locking themselves down in their career,” he says.

“If you go to an MNC, you would be focused on a very niche and narrow field in IC design. But since we have a broad customer base, our engineers will have the opportunities to experience a variety of design work.

“Also we have overseas customers as some 80% of our revenues are from overseas, so there are a lot of travelling opportunities for them as well,” Ng adds.

He points out that some 14% of the company’s public issue of new shares would be available for its eligible directors, employees and business associates who have contributed to its success.

“This would help us retain some of our talent for the longer term. Last year, we saw a low single-digit rate in the turnover of our manpower.

“The original team of the three founders that started the company have stayed on until now and we grew the employee count to about 220 currently,” he adds.

The company is also eyeing other growth opportunities such as through joint ventures and inorganic ones after its listing. 

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