(Bloomberg) — Nvidia Corp. is teaming up with Abu Dhabi-based G42 to create a climate technology lab, marking its first partnership with the United Arab Emirates’ top artificial intelligence firm.
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The two companies will work on developing AI that can improve the accuracy of weather forecasting, according to a statement Friday. They will rely on Nvidia’s Earth-2, an open platform that can make climate and weather predictions.
The climate tech lab, located in Abu Dhabi, “will serve as a hub for research and development, driving forward both companies’ commitment to environmental sustainability,” according to the statement. It will also “mobilize the creation of tailored climate and weather solutions that leverage over 100 petabytes of geophysical data assets.”
Nvidia, the chipmaker at the heart of an artificial intelligence spending boom, has been speeding up development of new products and expanding its footprint. Back in June, the company said it now plans to upgrade its AI accelerators every year. Its road map includes a new Blackwell lineup coming around the end of the year and a next-generation platform in development called Rubin for 2026.
Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang also has promoted the use of so-called digital twins — virtual versions of real-life things — in an online realm that Nvidia calls the Omniverse. Earth-2, a digital twin of planet Earth, is meant to show the potential of the approach by enabling more sophisticated weather-pattern modeling and other complex tasks.
“The Earth-2 climate tech lab will propel environmental solutions using the most advanced accelerated computing and AI technology,” Huang said in the statement.
Earlier this year, G42 lined up a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft Corp. after the two worked out a deal with the US government where the UAE-based company agreed to end any cooperation with China. The firms announced this week that they are establishing two centers in Abu Dhabi focused on helping develop industry standards for the use of AI.
G42 also has a partnership with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, which is looking to expand in the Gulf region.
The partnership with Nvidia helps bolster the UAE’s case that it can become an AI superpower in the Middle East. It’s part of the $1.5 trillion empire of Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is one of Abu Dhabi’s deputy rulers, national security adviser for the UAE and brother to its president.
The partnership with Nvidia will pave the way to “not only innovate but also solve critical global challenges,” said Peng Xiao, G42’s CEO.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is visiting Washington next week to meet President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. A main goal of his trip is to bring up partnerships in AI and in technology, a senior Emirati official said.
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