China's military supercomputer tops global AI efficiency test
China's military-developed supercomputer, Tianhe, has once again bagged the top spot in a global test of artificial intelligence (AI) computing efficiency. Built by the National University of Defense Technology, the machine has now topped the Green Graph500 list twice since 2021. The list ranks the world's most power-efficient big data processing systems. Supercomputers like Tianhe are essential for conducting research in fields like climate change studies, space exploration, and disease treatment development.
Tianhe's performance surpasses previous models
The Green Graph500 list, introduced in 2010, measures performance-per-watt for processing large graphs. It compares the energy efficiency of the fastest supercomputers dealing with data-intensive tasks. In this ranking, China's Tianhe Exa-node Prototype scored an impressive 6,320 MTEPS/W (million traversed edges per second per watt), a measure of a system's efficiency in internal data communication. The score beat its predecessor model and Eniad from the University of Pennsylvania.
Top ranking signifies major breakthroughs
Meng Xiangfei, the chief scientist at the National Supercomputer Centre in Tianjin, which hosts the Tianhe supercomputer, said this top ranking marks major international breakthroughs in complex data analysis. He also stressed that Tianhe will be instrumental in developing next-generation intelligent technologies. The system has already aided major achievements in research fields like numerical simulation technology, materials computation, and environmental meteorology.
Tianhe's contributions extend to industrial sectors
Beyond research, Tianhe has also made significant strides in industrial areas like superintelligent integration, large generative models, and supercomputing internet. These advancements underscore the system's versatility and potential for broader applications. In 2023, the Chinese National Supercomputing Center in Guangzhou introduced another domestically developed supercomputer named Tianhe Xingyi. Although its specifications remain undisclosed, officials claim that it surpasses the capabilities of the renowned Tianhe-2 supercomputer.
