Drew Dixon
Elements of one of the fastest supercomputers in higher education began to arrive at the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville this month.
UF’s Data Center is beginning to assemble some of the components of the HiPerGator AI 2.0. That computer will help position the university positioning as a national leader in Artificial Intelligence research and curriculum.
The supercomputer is produced by NVIDIA DGX and costs UF $24 million to acquire. The university sealed the deal in December. The acquisition is designed to enhance UF’s mission to be a national model for workforce development and a global leader in AI development.
About a dozen experts are now assembling and installing the supercomputer, billed seven to 10 times faster than the current HiPerGator system already in use at the school. UF is among the elite higher education institutions with the AI supercomputer, augmented by UF alumnus and key partner Chris Malachowsky. He co-founded the company that produces the supercomputer.
“The University of Florida’s commitment to AI and high-performance computing has set a new standard for academic excellence,” said Malachowsky. “UF will have an incredible AI supercomputing infrastructure to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.”
UF’s development in supercomputing technology has also led to hiring more than 100 new AI faculty members and the school has added 230 AI and data science courses. The current supercomputer enabled about 7,000 users in the past year and handled more than 33 million research requests.
“HiPerGator is at the center of our infusion of AI across the curriculum, supporting the UF community with state-of-the-art technology and training resources,” said Joe Glover, UF’s interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “UF’s commitment to comprehensive AI education prepares our students with the skills and AI knowledge needed to succeed in our rapidly transforming workforce.”
Elias G. Eldayrie, UF’s vice president and chief information officer, said the new supercomputer will put the university in a class of its own.
“HiPerGator is essential to UF’s multidisciplinary initiatives and advancements in academic and research achievements. This fourth-generation upgrade of HiPerGator will elevate UF’s AI research, accelerate the integration of AI across the curriculum, and solidify UF’s status as the AI university,” Eldayrie said.
