SoftBank Group will be the first to build a supercomputer with chips using Nvidia’s new Blackwell design, a demonstration of the company’s ambitions to catch up on AI.
SoftBank’s telecom unit plans to build Japan’s most powerful AI supercomputer to support a wide range of local services, the two companies said. That computer will be based on Nvidia’s DGX B200 product, which combines computer processors with so-called AI accelerator chips. A follow-up effort will feature Grace Blackwell, a more advanced version.
Shares of SoftBank, Japan’s No. 3 wireless carrier, reversed losses and rose 1.5% Wednesday. SoftBank Group, which comprises the conglomerate’s investment teams, fell as much as 3.3%.