Google has launched Ironwood, its seventh-generation AI processor, designed to enhance AI application performance, particularly for inference computing. This move is part of Google’s decade-long, multi-billion-dollar investment in developing tensor processing units (TPUs) as an alternative to NVIDIA’s leading AI processors.
According to Amin Vahdat, Google Vice President, Ironwood combines functions from previously separate designs while increasing memory capacity. This development is significant as it highlights Google’s efforts to improve its AI computing capabilities. Ironwood is a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) specifically designed for inference, which involves the quick calculations needed for chatbot answers and other AI outputs.
Ironwood delivers twice the performance-per-watt compared to Google’s previous Trillium chip, marking a substantial improvement in efficiency. When configured in pods of 9,216 chips, Ironwood delivers 42.5 Exaflops of computing power. To put this into perspective, this is more than 24 times the computational capacity of El Capitan, currently the world’s largest supercomputer, which provides only 1.7 Exaflops per pod. This significant leap in computing power underscores Google’s commitment to advancing AI technology.
Ironwood’s technical specifications are noteworthy. It possesses 192 GB of memory per chip, which is six times that of Trillium. Additionally, it has an improved HBM bandwidth, reaching 7.2 Tbps per chip, 4.5 times that of Trillium’s. The Inter-Chip Interconnect (ICI) bandwidth is also enhanced, increased to 1.2 Tbps bidirectional, 1.5 times that of Trillium’s. These advancements contribute to Ironwood’s superior performance and efficiency.
Google utilizes these proprietary chips to construct and deploy its Gemini AI models. The company has invested heavily in developing TPUs, and Ironwood is the latest outcome of this effort. It is exclusively available through Google’s cloud service or to its internal engineers, indicating Google’s strategic approach to the deployment of its AI technology.
The manufacturer producing the Google-designed Ironwood processors remains undisclosed. Nonetheless, the launch of Ironwood is a significant development in the field of AI computing, showcasing Google’s technological prowess and its commitment to advancing AI capabilities.
