Intel builds world’s largest neuromorphic system to enable sustainable AI

Intel has built the world’s largest neuromorphic system to support research for future brain-inspired artificial intelligence.

Code-named Hala Point, the large-scale neuromorphic system was initially deployed at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico. It mimics the human brain in processing information.

Hala Point advances Intel’s first-generation large-scale research system, Pohoiki Springs, with architectural improvements to achieve over 10 times more neuron capacity and up to 12 times higher performance.

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories plan to use Hala Point for advanced brain-scale computing research, focusing on solving scientific computing problems in device physics, computer architecture, computer science and informatics.

“The computing cost of today’s AI models is rising at unsustainable rates. The industry needs fundamentally new approaches capable of scaling. For that reason, we developed Hala Point, which combines deep learning efficiency with novel brain-inspired learning and optimization capabilities,” said Mike Davies, director of the Neuromorphic Computing Lab at Intel Labs.

“We hope that research with Hala Point will advance the efficiency and adaptability of large-scale AI technology,” he said.