Isambard-AI launch brings Britain closer to AI breakthroughs

The UK’s most powerful AI supercomputer, Isambard-AI, has officially launched in Bristol. Developed with HPE and NVIDIA, the £225 million system marks a major step in national research capability.

It can compute in one second what the global population would take 80 years to process. Housed at the National Composites Centre, it aims to drive breakthroughs in healthcare, robotics, climate science and more.

Built by the University of Bristol’s Centre for Supercomputing, the machine is part of the UK Government’s AI Research Resource (AIRR) and was launched by Science Secretary Peter Kyle.

Alongside the Dawn supercomputer in Cambridge, Isambard-AI will deliver 23 AI ExaFLOPs — equal to the UK population working non-stop for 85,000 years. It is 100,000 times faster than an average laptop and supports drug discovery, personalised medicine and advanced data analysis.

Powered by 5,400 Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips and HPE’s Cray EX platform, it is among the greenest supercomputers globally, running on zero-carbon electricity and using direct liquid cooling to cut energy use by up to 90%.

Plans are underway to reuse its waste heat for nearby homes and businesses. Its sustainable design cuts emissions by 72% versus traditional builds.

The University of Bristol, chosen for its AI and HPC expertise, also offers a government-backed master’s through the Sparck AI scholarship. Vice-Chancellor Professor Evelyn Welch called the launch a milestone for British AI.

Researchers are already using Isambard-AI to analyse data from wearable cameras for assisted living support, and to scan MRI data to speed up cancer detection and treatment planning.

Other teams are modelling disease-related proteins and using AI to detect illness in dairy cattle by monitoring herd behaviour — showing the system’s broad real-world impact.

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