How We'll Reach a 1 Trillion Transistor GPU
IEEE Spectrum, Thursday, March 28th, 2024
Advances in semiconductors are feeding the AI boom
In 1997 the IBM Deep Blue supercomputer defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov. It was a groundbreaking demonstration of supercomputer technology and a first glimpse into how high-performance computing might one day overtake human-level intelligence. In the 10 years that followed, we began to use artificial intelligence for many practical tasks, such as facial recognition, language translation, and recommending movies and merchandise.
Fast-forward another decade and a half and artificial intelligence has advanced to the point where it can 'synthesize knowledge.' Generative AI, such as ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion, can compose poems, create artwork, diagnose disease, write summary reports and computer code, and even design integrated circuits that rival those made by humans.