Superintelligence, a step towards a much greater business transformation
Digital technologies are enabling us to move much quicker, redefining every aspect of our lives, from what it means to be human to what it means to work.
Many businesses are already driving this digital transformation through IT, changing the way they engage with their customers, empower their employees, optimizing their operations and transforming their products. Software innovation is spreading very rapidly among all industries reshaping their IT structures, from financial services to manufacturing, healthcare to education, automotive, media or the public sector.
However, when companies shift their data storage and computing functions to the unlimited power of the Cloud, they are only taking their first big step towards a much greater transformation.
Artificial Intelligence and the Cloud in 2017
Look at Artificial Intelligence (AI), for instance, it has made incredible strides in 2016 and the growth is expected to accelerate in 2017. Real-world applications of ‘humanized’ technology sounds like a faraway concept, however, it is already present around us. Today, the development of self-driving cars is a reality, machines can read and understand a document almost as well as a person, and there is a wide and varied list of examples from all industries taking on new AI-based technologies such as Facial Recognition, Machine Learning, or Automation of Manual Processes.
From a business aspect, it is an pivotal moment in technology history. Now we are getting closer to an AI-first world that will disrupt the way we do business. Every company utilizing solutions from the Cloud will be able to incorporate superintelligence capabilities in their services and have access to the many and future applications of AI that will help them become truly disruptive by relying on the Cloud.
The primary Cloud platform for deep learning and AI
In an effort to democratize artificial intelligence and business transformation, Elon Musk’s non-profit organization, OpenAI, is leading the research and working with top technology companies such as Microsoft, Google or Amazon to deploy the latest, most advanced, breakthroughs in AI.
“We're working with Microsoft to start running most of our large-scale experiments on Azure. This will make Azure the primary cloud platform that OpenAI is using for deep learning and AI, and will let us conduct more research and share the results with the world.”, states an official post from the OpenAI executive team.
The announcement, made late in 2016, highlighted how one of the most important factors for accelerating progress in business and society is the access to more and faster computers; which is particularly true for emerging AI technologies, like reinforcement learning and what they refer as generative models. “Azure has impressed us by building hardware configurations optimized for deep learning — they offer K80 GPUs with InfiniBand interconnects at scale. We're also excited by their roadmap, which should soon bring Pascal GPUs onto their cloud.”
Early adopters of Azure N-Series Virtual Machines
Speaking of roadmaps and technological releases, on December 1st 2016 Microsoft announced the general availability of Azure N-Series Virtual Machines, of which OpenAI is an early adopter. These virtual machines are designed for the most intensive compute workloads, including deep learning, simulations, rendering and the training of neural networks. They also enable high-end visualization capabilities to allow for workstation and streaming scenarios by utilizing the NVIDIA GRID in Azure.
In addition to OpenAI, other companies like Esri and Jellyfish Pictures are already using Azure N-Series. Esri is using N-Series GPU capabilities to power its mapping software, and the visual effects studio Jellyfish Pictures uses them to render photo-realistic visual effects and animations at large scale.
As customers’ computing needs continue to accelerate, Microsoft is working in close partnership with partners like NVIDIA to meet those needs. For example, the Cognitive Toolkit has been optimized to run on Azure N-Series Virtual Machines powered by NVIDIA Tesla GPUs, and they are working together to deliver the next generation of hardware innovation, Pascal-based GPUs on Azure, in the near future.
More investment for AI democratization
These partnerships and the increasing adoption of AI technologies reflects that its democratization among households and the workspace is set to grow even larger. Today, AI is a hot topic among IT players, who are increasing their efforts to make this technology more accessible to everyone.
Last September, Microsoft Corp. announced the creation of a new Microsoft AI and Research Group, bringing together Microsoft’s world-class research organization with more than 5,000 computer scientists and engineers focused on the company’s AI product efforts.
The goal of the Redmond crew is to infuse AI into everything they deliver across the company’s computing platforms and to democratize AI by making it available for every person and every organization in the world.