- The University of Utah unveiled an AI supercomputer to enhance research capabilities.
- This system will triple computing capacity, allowing faster, larger AI model processing.
- It aims to democratize access statewide, aligning with Utah's Pro-Human AI Initiative.
SALT LAKE CITY — Artificial Intelligence depends on two things: massive amounts of data and the computing power to process it.
For many researchers, that kind of power is hard to access.
A new AI supercomputing system managed by the University of Utah is designed to change that, expanding access statewide through a single shared resource.
"AI works off computing and data, so it needs to be effective. It needs a lot of computing, a lot of data," said Manish Parashar, chief AI officer at the University of Utah. "A supercomputer is the computing substrate … made up of a large number of computing systems, Graphics Processing Units and data storage units connected together that collectively run the models that enable AI applications to work."
University leaders say the system allows researchers to build much larger AI models and run them far faster than before.
That speed matters across a wide range of disciplines.
Deanie Wimmer, KSL
"As our researchers try to use AI to solve important problems around health, around the environment, around our workforce … they need to be able to build and run large models," Parashar said. "Increasing this capability allows our researchers to really take advantage of AI in their research."
Those applications range from healthcare to environmental science and even education itself.
The system will expand computing capacity by three-and-a-half times at the University of Utah, allowing more people to work on more projects at the same time.
"How big can my model be, and how fast does that run? That gives researchers the ability to process larger amounts of data and do it faster," Parashar said.
Parashar said that's why the speed represents a major shift from how research was performed before.
"Your models would run much slower. They might take months when we might get them up to hours and days," he said. "That allows me to get better insights across many more dimensions."
Beyond the university, the system is intended as a shared resource, helping level the playing field for researchers, students and organizations across Utah.
"We can let our students and researchers across the state be able to have access to these resources, democratizing access to this capability to researchers everywhere across the state."
State leaders have paired the infrastructure investment with a broader push known as Utah's Pro-Human AI Initiative, aiming to align research, workforce training, policy and public accountability.
"The way we are bringing together academic research with government, industry and the innovation ecosystem … gives us a unique advantage in the nation," Parashar said.
He said the system is designed to reflect Utah's priorities and to address problems that directly affect people across the state.
"We are addressing problems that are important to us citizens ... but it also puts us in a leadership role at the state level," Parashar said.
Early access to the supercomputer is expected by mid-summer, with the system housed in a dedicated data center designed to meet its power and cooling requirements.
University leaders say the investment represents a long-term commitment, positioning Utah to remain competitive as artificial intelligence continues to evolve.
