Southern Methodist University Invests $11.5M in New AI, Supercomputer Infrastructure

With help from the accelerated computing leader NVIDIA, Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas, is investing $11.5 million in computer hardware, software and training to strengthen its artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

According to the university, the investment will increase its current supercomputer memory tenfold and will set the stage for AI and machine learning that's 25 times faster than its current levels. An array of disciplines -- from computational biology to human performance, national defense and digital humanities --- will be able to integrate the AI technology into their research.

“This partnership will put us in the fast lane for artificial intelligence,” said SMU President Dr. R. Gerald Turner. “Research universities like ours have an obligation to actively engage in the development and application of AI for societal good, and this partnership gives us the tools to do it.”

Not only will the AI benefit the university community but the Dallas region too, said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson.

“Dallas has long been a hub for innovation, and this tremendous increase in supercomputing brainpower at SMU can be a powerful tool for our city,” said Johnson. “Through research collaborations built on SMU’s capabilities in artificial intelligence, we have the potential to boost our city’s booming economy, improve our workforce, and learn to solve major challenges that we face.”