Naver Cloud joins Intel to create AI chip ecosystem
Seoul, April 11 (IANS) Naver Cloud, the cloud computing arm of South Korea’s tech giant Naver, said on Thursday it will join hands with US chipmaker Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) to create an artificial intelligence (AI) chip software ecosystem.The two companies have agreed to provide IT infrastructure based on Intel’s AI accelerator, Gaudi, to help South Korean startups and universities conduct AI research projects and develop various software, according to Naver Cloud.
They will also set up a joint research centre called Naver Cloud-IntelㆍCo-Lab (NICL), where Naver Cloud will collaborate with startups and university labs, reports Yonhap news agency.
Expected to launch later this year, the NICL will involve teams from approximately 20 universities and startups, including prestigious institutions like the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Seoul National University.
Naver Cloud said it also plans to test Intel’s Gaudi 2 AI accelerator and work with the U.S. chip giant to develop a commercial cloud system.
It said the partnership with Intel aims to expand an AI ecosystem centered around Naver’s AI model, HyperClova X, using Intel’s AI chips.
“There aren’t many companies worldwide that have developed and are operating a large language model from scratch like Naver Cloud,” its CEO Kim Yu-won said.
Yes, that’s correct! Naver Cloud, the cloud arm of South Korean tech giant Naver, recently joined forces with Intel to establish an artificial intelligence (AI) chip ecosystem [Investing.com]. This partnership aims to challenge the dominance of Nvidia in the AI chip market.
Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
- Goal: Build a strong ecosystem for AI chips and software.
- Collaboration:
- Naver Cloud will provide cloud infrastructure based on Intel’s AI accelerator, Gaudi.
- This will enable South Korean startups and universities to conduct AI research and develop software using Gaudi chips.
- The partnership will also involve a joint research center, Naver Cloud-Intel Co-Lab (NICL), expected to launch later in 2024.
- NICL will involve teams from universities and startups to collaborate on AI research and development.
- Benefits:
- This collaboration aims to reduce costs for large-scale AI training and processing.
- It will also foster the development of software compatible with Intel’s AI chips, potentially reducing reliance on Nvidia’s CUDA parallel processing software.
- Ultimately, this partnership could lead to more competition and innovation in the AI chip market.
This is a significant development in the AI chip landscape, with Naver Cloud and Intel potentially creating a strong alternative to Nvidia’s current dominance.