Intel has unveiled a groundbreaking neuromorphic system called Hala Point, which is set to revolutionize the Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry. This research prototype, currently deployed at Sandia National Laboratories, boasts an impressive 1.15 billion neurons and 128 billion synapses across 140,544 neuromorphic processing cores.
Developed using the Loihi 2 processors, Hala Point is expected to pave the way for a more efficient and modular AI approach. The company believes that new scalable solutions are needed in the industry, and this system aims to do just that by providing significant memory and communication bandwidth.
Hala Point integrates processing, memory, and communication channels in a parallelized fabric, allowing it to perform real-time continuous learning in various AI applications such as scientific problem-solving, logistics management, smart city infrastructure management, and AI agents. With capabilities to execute 20 quadrillion operations per second, this system is designed for high-performance computing tasks of all kinds.
Compared to its predecessor Pohoiki Springs, Hala Point offers significant improvements in performance and efficiency for real-time processing tasks. The system is capable of executing its full capacity up to 20 times faster than the human brain and up to 200 times faster at lower capacity – especially when applied to bioinspired models of spiking neural networks.
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories will use Hala Point to tackle scientific computing problems across multiple fields like device physics, computer architecture, and computer science. Intel plans to deploy this neuromorphic research prototype as part of a new family of large-scale neuromorphic systems for its research collaborators.
In summary, Hala Point represents a significant leap forward in the development of AI technology – one that promises greater efficiency and scalability in future applications across diverse industries.
