Latest news with #supercomputer
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fujitsu awarded contract to design next-generation flagship supercomputer FugakuNEXT
Accelerating scientific and technological innovation with Made-in-Japan CPU technology KAWASAKI, Japan, June 18, 2025 /CNW/ -- Fujitsu Limited today announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Japanese research and development institute RIKEN to design a next-generation flagship supercomputer. The contract for the supercomputer, provisionally named "FugakuNEXT," encompasses the overall system, computing nodes, and CPU components and the basic design phase is scheduled to run until February 27, 2026. Supporting Japan's leadership in science and technology with a next-generation computing platform The rapid growth of generative AI and other technologies is driving increased demand for diverse and large-scale computing resources for R&D. According to a report by the HPCI Steering Committee established by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the importance of "AI for Science," i.e., initiatives that combine AI with simulation technology, real-time data, and automated experiments, is increasing, prompting nations to prioritize advanced computing infrastructure. Japan needs a new, flexible platform that will address these evolving demands, enable its leadership in science, technology, and innovation and facilitate further societal and industrial advancement. The HPCI Program Steering Committee has chosen RIKEN as the primary entity responsible for developing this platform, and RIKEN has chosen Fujitsu to design it. Building a foundation for future innovation with advanced CPU design FugakuNEXT will leverage Fujitsu's established supercomputing expertise, incorporating advanced technologies from the FUJITSU-MONAKA3 general-purpose CPU currently under development, and will cater to evolving customer needs by allowing for seamless integration with GPUs and other accelerators. FUJITSU-MONAKA, built on leading-edge 2-nanometer technology, employs Fujitsu's unique technologies, including a microarchitecture optimized for advanced 3D packaging and ultra-low voltage circuit operation. It aims to deliver both high performance and power efficiency across diverse next-generation computing applications, from edge computing to data centers, while ensuring safety, security, and ease of use. The successor CPU to FUJITSU-MONAKA, tentatively named "FUJITSU-MONAKA-X," intended for use in FugakuNEXT, will not only inherit and accelerate existing Fugaku application assets but also incorporate state-of-the-art AI processing acceleration capabilities to meet growing AI demands. This CPU is intended for broad application across sectors supporting society and industry, extending beyond its role in FugakuNEXT. Through its core, Made-in-Japan CPU technology, Fujitsu will continue to deliver innovation and build trust, contributing to a world-class computing infrastructure and advancing Japanese science and technology. For full release click here View original content: SOURCE Fujitsu Limited View original content: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Elon Musk's AI Company Faces Lawsuit Over Gas-Burning Turbines
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI, which runs the Grok chatbot, is facing a legal challenge led by the NAACP over air pollution from its supercomputer facility in Memphis. xAI's South Memphis data center, near predominantly Black neighborhoods, has been operating natural-gas-burning turbines without the proper permits, the NAACP alleged in a notice of an intent to sue filed on Tuesday. Those turbines were sending noxious emissions toward local homes, said Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP. 'We cannot afford to normalize this kind of environmental injustice, where billion-dollar companies set up polluting operations in Black neighborhoods without any permits and think they'll get away with it,' he said. In a statement, xAI said that it took its environmental commitments seriously, as well as its responsibility to the local community. 'The temporary power generation units are operating in compliance with all applicable laws,' the company statement said. The data center, part of Mr. Musk's xAI artificial intelligence business, began running last year in a former manufacturing plant. It houses a supercomputer that Mr. Musk, the world's richest man, has said would be the world's largest supercomputer. Before beginning operations, the company rolled in flatbed trucks loaded with gas-powered turbines to help meet its electricity needs, which rival those of 100,000 homes. The Southern Environmental Law Center, a legal nonprofit organization that is representing the NAACP, said aerial images from March showed 35 gas turbines at the site, and that the turbines were emitting significant amounts of heat. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
NAACP files intent to sue Elon Musk's xAI company over supercomputer air pollution
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The NAACP filed an intent to sue Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI on Tuesday over concerns about air pollution generated by a supercomputer near predominantly Black communities in Memphis. The xAI data center began operating last year, powered by pollution-emitting gas turbines, without first applying for a permit. Officials have said an exemption allowed them to operate for up to 364 days without a permit, but Southern Environmental Law Center attorney Patrick Anderson said at a news conference that there is no such exemption for turbines — and that regardless, it has now been more than 364 days.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
NAACP files intent to sue Elon Musk's xAI company over supercomputer air pollution
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The NAACP filed an intent to sue Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI on Tuesday over concerns about air pollution generated by a supercomputer located near predominantly Black communities. The xAI data center began operating gas turbines last year, emitting air pollution, without first applying for a permit under an exemption that allowed them to do so for 364 days. The permit application now being considered by the Shelby County Health Department calls for the use of 15 turbines, though the Southern Environmental Law Center says there are as many as 35 turbines located at the sprawling facility. Musk's xAI said the turbines will be equipped with technology to reduce emissions — and that it's already boosting the city's economy by investing billions of dollars in the supercomputer facility, paying millions in local taxes and creating hundreds of jobs. The company also is spending $35 million to build a power substation and $80 million to build a water recycling plant to the support Memphis, Light, Gas and Water, the local utility. But the Southern Environmental Law Center, among others, says the supercomputer is stressing the power grid, and that the gas-powered turbines emit smog and carbon dioxide, pollutants that cause lung irritation such as nitrogen oxides, and the carcinogen formaldehyde, experts say. The chamber of commerce in Memphis made a surprise announcement in June 2024 that xAI planned to build a supercomputer in the city. The data center quickly set up shop in an industrial park south Memphis, near factories and a gas-powered plant operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The SELC has claimed the use of the turbines violates the Clean Air Act and notes that residents who live near the xAI facility already face cancer risks at four times the national average. The group also has sent a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
NAACP files intent to sue Elon Musk's xAI company over supercomputer air pollution
The NAACP filed an intent to sue Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI on Tuesday over concerns about air pollution generated by a supercomputer located near predominantly Black communities. The xAI data center began operating gas turbines last year, emitting air pollution, without first applying for a permit under an exemption that allowed them to do so for 364 days. The permit application now being considered by the Shelby County Health Department calls for the use of 15 turbines, though the Southern Environmental Law Center says there are as many as 35 turbines located at the sprawling facility. Musk's xAI said the turbines will be equipped with technology to reduce emissions — and that it's already boosting the city's economy by investing billions of dollars in the supercomputer facility, paying millions in local taxes and creating hundreds of jobs. The company also is spending $35 million to build a power substation and $80 million to build a water recycling plant to the support Memphis, Light, Gas and Water, the local utility. But the Southern Environmental Law Center, among others, says the supercomputer is stressing the power grid, and that the gas-powered turbines emit smog and carbon dioxide, pollutants that cause lung irritation such as nitrogen oxides, and the carcinogen formaldehyde, experts say. The chamber of commerce in Memphis made a surprise announcement in June 2024 that xAI planned to build a supercomputer in the city. The data center quickly set up shop in an industrial park south Memphis, near factories and a gas-powered plant operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The SELC has claimed the use of the turbines violates the Clean Air Act and notes that residents who live near the xAI facility already face cancer risks at four times the national average. The group also has sent a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency.
