Cerebras Systems has announced that it has signed a deal worth approximately $100 million to provide the first of up to nine supercomputers supported by artificial intelligence in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based G42 Technology Group. This agreement comes at a time when cloud computing service providers worldwide are seeking alternatives to chips from Nvidia Corp, the market leader in AI computing, which is currently facing a shortage of its products due to the rising popularity of ChatGPT and other services. Cerebras is one of several startups looking to challenge Nvidia.
Cerebras, based in Silicon Valley, stated that G42 has agreed to purchase three of what it calls Condor Galaxy Systems, all of which will be manufactured in the United States. The first computer is expected to connect to the network this year, with plans to launch the Condor Galaxy 2 and 3 supercomputers in the US in early 2024. Andrew Feldman, CEO of Cerebras Systems, mentioned that "Condor Galaxy 1 contributes to reducing the time required to train AI models and minimizing efforts in distributed computing operations," according to the Emirates News Agency.
Feldman described the deal as the beginning of a strategic partnership and noted that the two companies are in discussions about launching up to six additional Condor Galaxy supercomputers and connecting them to the network during 2024. Feldman intends to move to the UAE for three months to work with G42 on developing its computing service based on these systems, calling it a "rare opportunity to change a massive market."
G42, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, plans to use Cerebras systems to sell AI computing services to healthcare and energy companies. G42 is a technology group comprising nine companies operating in areas such as data centers and cloud services. G42 recently secured $800 million from American investment firm Silver Lake, backed by Mubadala, the UAE's sovereign wealth fund.
Talal Al Qaisi, CEO of G42 Cloud, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration with Cerebras to deliver one of the fastest AI-supported supercomputers in the world, laying the foundation to connect a network of these supercomputers globally. He added, "The shared vision of the two companies is to utilize Condor Galaxy 1 and other network devices to address pressing challenges facing society in fields such as healthcare, energy, and environmental and climatic work, among others."
