Nvidia, a leading AI chip manufacturer, has partnered with the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to support the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot, aiming to expand access to tools necessary for responsible AI exploration and innovation. Nvidia has committed $30 million over two years to this initiative. The partnership will gather data from researchers using Nvidia’s platforms to improve technology effectiveness, including contributions from the NVIDIA DGX Cloud AI supercomputer resources and NVIDIA AI Enterprise software.
The NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan emphasizes the urgency of developing such resources for the future of AI in America, stating that the NAIRR pilot program unleashes discovery and impact, enhancing the nation’s global competitiveness. NAIRR boasts 10 partners across the U.S. government, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
According to NSF’s Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Director Katie Antypas, the NAIRR vision will ultimately provide researchers and communities with access to computing, data, models, and software. The launch of the NAIRR pilot aligns with the goals of an executive order issued by the Biden administration in October 2023, directing NSF to initiate a pilot process for NAIRR within three months.
Furthermore, Nvidia announced a new partnership with data center operator Equinix on January 24 to provide supercomputer systems to corporate clients. Nvidia’s founder and CEO Jensen Huang highlighted the transformative impact of generative AI across all sectors, noting that businesses can now access NVIDIA AI supercomputing and software paired with Equinix’s operational efficiency in hundreds of data centers worldwide.