China Quest for Computing Power: China is embarking on a mission to supercharge its computing power infrastructure, with an ambitious goal to achieve a total computing power of over 300 EFLOPS by 2025. But as the nation’s computing capabilities surge, challenges emerge, including a shortage of computing power and rising energy consumption.
EFLOPS, a unit of measurement for a computer’s speed, signifies the ability to complete one quintillion floating-point operations per second. Achieving this level of computing power is not only a technological feat but also an energy-intensive endeavor.
To address these challenges, China’s computing industry is taking a multifaceted approach. It’s focused on optimizing data center operations, from enhancing the efficiency of computing applications to refining data center refrigeration systems. However, the growing power consumption for daily server operations remains a concern, with data centers currently using less than 20 percent of their energy for computing tasks.
China’s approach to tackling these issues involves adopting “end-to-end green computing.” This encompasses using clean energy and new energy storage in electricity production, choosing efficient IT systems, refrigeration systems, and power supply and distribution systems to enhance computing efficiency.
Additionally, there’s a call to improve computing power application by boosting software platform utilization and application efficiency, as well as allocating computing resources in a more dynamic and flexible manner. Green initiatives are already underway in data centers, introducing energy-saving methods and green energy sources.
Efficiency can also be improved by implementing computing power scheduling. This approach involves connecting different computing servers to a network and allocating resources to meet application demands, similar to how water or electricity is transported.
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However, challenges remain in standardizing computing power scheduling, as entrance standards, systems, and pricing standards among service providers vary. To address this, China has seen the emergence of computing power scheduling platforms that integrate computing resources from various sources and types, catering to diverse business application scenarios.
One notable effort is the National (Shanghai) New-type Internet Exchange Point (SHIXP), which launched China’s first national computing power trading platform. With 14 computing network nodes and access to eight domestic mainstream computing operators, SHIXP represents a significant development in the realm of computing power scheduling.
Moreover, there’s a focus on adaptation in both software and hardware, as well as the development of underlying technology. China faces challenges related to domestic software adaptation, with many chipmakers independently developing open-source software and hardware, leading to inefficient competition.
To overcome these obstacles, it’s suggested that industrial organizations, alliances, and associations play a role in reaching consensus among computing power suppliers. This approach seeks to break down technical and ecological barriers and promote research and development in software and hardware.
In this journey to meet the growing demand for computing power, innovation in computing architecture, methods, and algorithms is imperative. Strengthening the adaptation and coordination of hardware, basic software, and application software is vital to building a comprehensive ecosystem around computing power.
China’s ambitious computing power goals signal the nation’s commitment to advancing technology and efficiency while addressing the challenges that come with the surge in large-scale computing models.
Our Reader’s Queries
What is the computing power plan of China?
China has set an ambitious goal of achieving a computing power of more than 300 EFLOPS by 2025. This plan has been issued by six authorities, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Education, and the People’s Bank of China. EFLOPS is a unit of measurement used to determine a computer’s speed. This target is a testament to China’s commitment to advancing technology and staying at the forefront of innovation. With this level of computing power, China will be able to handle complex tasks and process vast amounts of data efficiently.
When China targets 50 growth in computing power?
The Chinese government has unveiled a plan to increase the country’s computing power by over 50% by 2025. This move is part of Beijing’s efforts to prioritize advancements in artificial intelligence and supercomputing. The plan aims to enhance China’s aggregate computing power and establish the country as a leader in these fields. With this initiative, China is set to make significant strides in the tech industry and cement its position as a global powerhouse.
Will China be the AI superpower?
China has set its sights on becoming the global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030. However, this goal may prove challenging due to US trade sanctions that impact technology imports, as well as a loss of top engineers to other countries. Despite these obstacles, China remains determined to achieve its AI ambitions.
How advanced is China’s AI technology?
Chinese companies dominated the recent U.S. government ranking of the most accurate facial recognition technology producers, with the top five spots all taken by Chinese firms. This comes as China continues to roll out facial recognition equipment at the entrances of its subway stations.