Norwegian browser Opera has announced plans to deploy a new AI cluster in Keflavik, Iceland, entirely powered by green energy.
An AI cluster, also known as a pod, is a collection of computers that work together to deliver high-performing artificial intelligence.
Located in Iceland, the AI cluster will rely on hydroelectric and geothermal power for energy and the chilly Icelandic air for cooling.
Opera’s AI data cluster features an NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD and will begin operation in February 2024.
The web browser has been developing its AI capabilities since early 2023, much like competitors including Microsoft Edge (ChatGPT, launched November 2022, added October 2023) and Google (Bard, now Gemini, launched in February 2023), and already hosts its own chatbot, Aria Browser AI, launched in May 2023.
It plans on expanding its AI to help users perform “elaborate browser tasks” beyond that of a chatbot, which requires more AI computing power.
The data cluster in Iceland will allow the web browser to deliver on this, in addition to those built on top of solutions provided by Opera’s AI partners.
“Aria is fast evolving, and we continue to expand its capabilities as a browsing companion for our users,” says Krystian Zubel, VP of group IT at Opera.
“Iceland will complement our existing infrastructure across the globe as a green, cost-efficient, and centralised hub for computation-heavy tasks,” Zubel added. “Ensuring that Opera has the infrastructure in place to seize the opportunities we see and allowing our company to rapidly evolve and expand its AI services.”
The NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD, equipped with the software companies NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs and the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software platform, will allow for four times faster AI training and 30 times faster inference on large language models, according to the firms.
“Organisations modernising their business with AI require powerful infrastructure to develop large language models and enable generative AI applications,” says Carlo Ruiz, EMEA director of AI data centre solutions and operations at NVIDIA.
Its technology will provide “Opera with advanced AI supercomputing capabilities, helping developers create new features to bring generative AI experiences to users’ fingertips.”