The Supercomputing 2023 event is back, with a focus on the intersection of supercomputing, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies invigorated by the rise of generative AI models.

During a special evening session at the event, theCUBE industry analysts explored the profound impact of AI on supercomputing and beyond and took a peek into the future of exascale computing and sustainability.

“There’s a collision course between the semiconductors and the clouds, and everyone in between is going to be impacted,” said John Furrier (pictured, left), theCUBE industry analyst. “The great news is it’s a massively growing market, because what AI’s bringing to the table is what HPC’s mission has been for decades.”

Furrier and fellow analyst Savannah Peterson (right) took part in the theCUBE’s kickoff and analysis segment of the event at SC23, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed how the integration of AI into supercomputing is set to reshape industries while quantum computing opens doors to new possibilities. (* Disclosure below.)

AI’s Impact on supercomputing and beyond

SC23 is not just an event; it’s a celebration of the technological advancements that have shaped the world, theCUBE hosts pointed out. With its roots dating back to 1988, the event has continually evolved, and this year it takes a giant leap with the integration of AI.

“I think that this shines light on the devices that power our technology,” Peterson said. “It’s easy to romanticize founders in Silicon Valley who had successful SaaS companies, as an example over the last decade and have gotten a lot of warranted attention. I think that this event celebrates this.”

AI is revolutionizing hyperscale computing and the semiconductor industry, according to Furrier. The demand for GPUs has skyrocketed, and the cloud computing landscape is undergoing a transformation. Major cloud players are harnessing AI’s power to change the silicon game. This collision between semiconductors and cloud providers is creating unprecedented opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovators.

“I think you’re going to see the emergence of these specialized clouds, like CoreWeaves of the world doing specialized things,” Furrier said. “I just think it’s going to be an opportunity for this industry to deliver real value.”

The future of exascale computing and sustainability

Exascale computing, the ability to achieve exaFLOPS of computing power, will be a central focus at SC23. The analysts shed light on the role of interconnects, networking and CPU accelerators in achieving exascale capabilities. Innovations in density and cooling, combined with ethernet and chipsets, are poised to push the boundaries of computing power.

However, with great power comes great responsibility. The analysts touched upon sustainability and waste management in the supercomputing world. The exponential increase in power consumption and data processing speed has raised concerns about environmental impact and cost optimization, according to Peterson.

“More data processing faster is great for our advancement,” she said. “But there is a tradeoff there. It’s not just in the power, but it’s also the sustainability as well as the cost optimization. And given our current economic state, I suspect we’re going to be having a lot of conversations about how to do this large-scale application for these projects at a cost that’s affordable for a variety of different projects.”

The involvement of universities and the next generation of innovators was also a hot topic during SC23. It’s essential to understand how the younger generation perceives supercomputing and AI’s role in shaping our future, according to Peterson. These fresh perspectives will play a crucial role in addressing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

“The reality is these high-performance computers are all around us,” she said. “Each one of these devices is powering things like that … it’s these collective systems … that are partnerships not only between some of the largest enterprises on earth and the biggest players in the technology space, but also with universities and with different groups of people that are collaborating to … architect our future and solve those problems.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of SC23:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for SC23. Neither Dell Technologies Inc., the main sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE