MRI: Acquisition of Artificial Intelligence Super Computer (AISC) for Accelerating Scientific Discovery

The project funds the acquisition of an Artificial Intelligence Super Computer (AISC) which will enable researchers, entrepreneurs, educators, and policymakers to leverage previously unimaginable resources to make intelligence-¬informed decisions from data. AISC will enable transformative advances in myriad scientific, engineering, and healthcare fields that rely on artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) techniques and high-performance computing (HPC) technologies.

AISC will support researchers from across Case Western Reserve University and their collaborating institutions. The spectrum of research enabled by AISC can be classified into four broad themes: (i) Cyberinfrastructure (CI) and computer science; (ii) material science; (iii) engineering systems; and (iv) biomedical engineering. In addition to supporting a broad spectrum of research, the project will build a vibrant multidisciplinary community around accelerating AI/ML computing and will conduct classes, tutorials, and workshops to engage undergraduates, graduates, post-docs and faculty in computer science and discipline sciences within the local Cleveland area and nationally.

AISC adopts Tensor Core graphics processing units (GPUs) with large, fast, and high bandwidth memory along with cutting edge technologies such as Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) based storage, and a high-speed interconnect. AISC can be partitioned into multiple instances each fully isolated with their own high-bandwidth memory, cache, and compute cores allowing support of varying size jobs with guaranteed quality of service (QoS) for every job, optimizing utilization and thereby extending the reach of AISC to more users.

Broader impacts from AISC include not only research findings and new technologies, but transfer to practice and wide dissemination of advances to broad communities beyond the CI, AI and specific scientific domains. To fully realize the project’s broader impact vision, the following activities are envisioned: (i) Build STEM talent and improve public interest in science and computing; (ii) Advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning; (iii) CI workforce development that is conversant with AI; (iv) Yearly domain-specific hackathons; and (v) Broaden participation of underrepresented groups by partnering with multiple major NSF-sponsored programs.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.