Governor Kathy Hochul flipped Empire AI’s switch on Oct. 11, powering on the beginning of a supercomputing future housed right here on UB’s downtown campus.
Part of Empire AI, a statewide consortium of public and private universities, including the Center for Computational Research (CCR), is said to be “some of the most robust computing power in the nation” according to Hochul’s office, giving the ability to solve issues that range from food insecurity to cyber security threats.
This comes eight months after Hochul appointed UB as the “home” for Empire AI and established a $400 million budget for the consortium, making New York a leader at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) research .
At the opening, Hochul also announced Robert Harrison as the interim director of Empire AI, with a search for a permanent director being initiated.
This consortium is funded by a NYS fund of $275 million and $125 million from UB and its partners. Part of Hochul’s innovation agenda , this project hopes to bring new jobs and business partners growing New York's economy as a public interest in technology , building a transformative hub for innovation and growth.
While Hochul, SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and President Satish K. Tripathi have reiterated Empire AI’s capabilities, including the possibility to make New York the epicenter of AI, many students are unaware of what it is.
As New York moves closer to the building of Empire AI’s permanent location, estimates show that the facility will be “20 to 40 times more powerful” than the current temporary location downtown. The project is 18 months ahead of schedule , with a permanent supercomputing center soon to be built on UB’s North Campus.
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Photo: Courtesy of Tracey Drury
