NVIDIA Begins Global Sampling of Next-Gen Blackwell AI Accelerators

NVIDIA is set to begin sampling its next-generation Blackwell AI accelerators worldwide this week, showcasing unparalleled performance with its cutting-edge architecture.

Jensen Huang’s SIGGRAPH 2024 Update

During SIGGRAPH 2024, NVIDIA’s CEO Jensen Huang took the stage to discuss the transformative potential of AI in the business industry. Although SIGGRAPH primarily focuses on software, Huang provided insights into the progress of the Blackwell architecture. He announced that engineering samples would be sent to customers globally this week, indicating that the product launch is imminent.

“This week, we are sending out engineering samples of Blackwell all over the world” - Jensen Huang (SIGGRAPH 2024)

High Demand and Supply Chain Preparations

NVIDIA’s Blackwell AI products are poised to be the company’s most successful yet, with significant pre-release demand from tech giants like Meta, Microsoft, and Google. The supply chain is gearing up for another “gold rush,” with partners such as TSMC and SK hynix ramping up production facilities. This suggests that Blackwell could replicate or even surpass the financial success of NVIDIA’s previous Hopper products.

Advancements in the AI Factory Ecosystem

In addition to Blackwell, NVIDIA announced enhancements to its “AI factory” ecosystem. These new features are expected to boost generative AI capabilities within NVIDIA’s NIM inference microservices, facilitating the adoption of AI in industrial workloads and expanding its influence across various domains.

Collaboration with Meta

A notable highlight of the event was the appearance of Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg alongside Jensen Huang. They discussed the integration of AI into business operations, with Zuckerberg revealing that Meta has acquired 600,000 of NVIDIA’s H100s for their AI computing power, underscoring the deep collaboration between the two companies.

Jensen got a leather jacket upgrade at SIGGRAPH pic.twitter.com/XgNqhwogeu - Hassan Mujtaba (@hms1193) July 29, 2024

The event concluded with a memorable moment where both CEOs exchanged leather jackets, marking a rare public appearance of Huang in different attire.