Elon Musk builds Supercomputer in Memphis and Impresses Nvidia CEO
Jensen Huang’s Praise for Elon Musk’s Supercomputer Cluster
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has lauded Elon Musk for his remarkable achievement in constructing a supercomputer cluster in a mere “19 days.” Huang’s admiration was expressed during an episode of the “BG2 Pod” podcast, where he described the effort as “superhuman,” reflecting Musk’s exceptional understanding of engineering principles.
Huang’s Perspective on xAI’s Accomplishment
In Huang’s view, Musk stands alone in his ability to execute such a complex project within such a short timeframe. He attributed this feat to Musk’s unparalleled grasp of engineering, construction, large-scale systems, and resource mobilization. Huang further emphasized that the speed at which xAI, Musk’s startup, assembled the supercomputer in Memphis was nothing short of extraordinary.
The Technical Prowess of Colossus
The supercomputer, aptly named Colossus, is comprised of a cluster of 100,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs. Musk clarified in a September X post that the total project time, from conception to operation, spanned 122 days. However, Huang specifically highlighted the exceptional engineering, software, networking, and infrastructure teams at xAI, describing them as “extraordinary.”
Musk’s Speed Record
During an interview with Jordan Peterson on X in June, Musk revealed that it took only 19 days to move Colossus from hardware installation to the commencement of training. He stressed that this was an unprecedented accomplishment, the fastest of its kind. Huang echoed Musk’s assertion, emphasizing that a supercomputer of this magnitude typically requires years of planning and an additional year for equipment installation and integration.
xAI’s Expanding Horizons
xAI’s recent initiatives extend beyond the construction of Colossus. The company launched in 2023 and has since released Grok-2, the latest version of its AI chatbot. Additionally, xAI secured $6 billion in a fresh funding round earlier this year, signaling its continued growth and advancement in the field of artificial intelligence.
Industry Insider Anecdote
Oracle’s co-founder and chairman, Larry Ellison, shared an anecdote from September, recounting a dinner meeting with Musk and Huang at Nobu in Palo Alto. He described how Musk and Huang earnestly requested more GPUs from Nvidia, pleading, “Please take our money…we need you to take more of our money.” Ellison concluded with a light-hearted remark, stating that the conversation “went OK; it worked.”