Nvidia extends its AI goal to the cloud

Nvidia, the leading graphics processing unit (GPU) manufacturer, has long been at the forefront of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. Its GPUs are widely used in AI applications for their ability to handle massive amounts of data and perform complex calculations at lightning speed. Now, Nvidia is extending its AI capabilities to the cloud, allowing businesses and organisations to harness the power of AI without the need for expensive hardware or specialised expertise.

Nvidia's foray into the cloud began with the launch of its Nvidia GPU Cloud (NGC) platform in 2017. NGC is a cloud-based hub that offers access to pre-built, optimised containers for running deep learning frameworks and HPC applications. The platform includes a curated collection of GPU-optimised software, including machine learning frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, and MXNet, as well as HPC applications like ANSYS and GROMACS.

In 2018, Nvidia further expanded its cloud offerings with the launch of its AI platform, which provides a suite of tools for building and deploying AI applications in the cloud. The platform includes pre-built models for image and speech recognition, natural language processing, and other AI tasks, as well as APIs for integrating these models into custom applications.

One of the key benefits of Nvidia's cloud-based AI solutions is their scalability. Traditional on-premises AI infrastructure is often limited in terms of the amount of data it can handle and the speed at which it can process that data. With cloud-based solutions like NGC and the Nvidia AI platform, organisations can quickly scale their AI capabilities up or down based on their needs, without the need for additional hardware investments or upgrades.

Nvidia is also working to make its cloud-based AI solutions more accessible to businesses and organisations of all sizes. In 2020, the company announced a partnership with Google Cloud that allows users to run Nvidia's NGC containers on Google's cloud platform. This makes it easier for organisations to access Nvidia's optimised software without the need for specialised hardware or technical expertise.

Another way Nvidia is extending its AI capabilities to the cloud is through its partnership with Microsoft Azure. In 2020, Nvidia and Microsoft announced the availability of Nvidia's A100 GPU on Microsoft Azure, allowing users to access the latest AI hardware without the need for a large capital investment.

Overall, Nvidia's move into the cloud is a strategic one that allows the company to expand its reach and provide AI solutions to a broader range of customers. By leveraging the power of the cloud, Nvidia is able to offer scalable, cost-effective AI solutions that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. As AI continues to transform industries ranging from healthcare to finance, Nvidia's cloud-based AI solutions are poised to play a key role in driving this transformation forward.

Nvidia's extremely sophisticated relationship with its largest customers comes as generative AI services such as OpenAI's ChatGPT have opened a big new market for AI chips.

Generative systems had brought a turning point after a decade of work on artificial intelligence that has led to a much broader range of companies beginning to experiment with the technology.