Block’s AI research will focus on solving problems to empower real people in the economy using open source technology
DISTRIBUTED-WORK-MODEL/OAKLAND, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) announced it will be the first company in North America to deploy the NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD with DGX GB200 systems. Upon deployment at an Equinix data center, this new infrastructure will be used in the research and training of open source generative AI models with novel capabilities in underexplored areas.
“The industry, and the world, is undergoing a seismic shift with adopting AI tools. At Block, we think it’s essential not only to apply AI to existing problems, but also to explore, learn, and build in the open so that we can advance the frontier of AI in a way that truly levels the playing field for our customers and community,” said Dhanji R. Prasanna, CTO of Block. “We’re excited to deploy an NVIDIA Grace Blackwell DGX SuperPOD and start exploring novel solutions for our customers. We’re committed to an open source approach, sharing our learnings and results along the way.”
Block’s AI research has previously worked on deepfake detection, and attracted widespread attention for one of the first examples in the world of hyper-realistic generated audio.
“Block is a technology company first, and engineering is at the heart of everything we do. Our past work on generative speech models means Block is well-positioned for innovation surrounding Gen AI models, and all possible applications that come with it,” said Prasanna.
The Grace Blackwell-powered NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD is purpose-built for state-of-the-art generative AI models, bringing advanced capabilities for training and inference. These systems address key AI challenges, enabling larger and more advanced models to be trained, with faster innovation and greater capabilities for AI as a result.
“As AI models grow in complexity and scale, businesses need powerful infrastructure that can match the pace of innovation,” said Charlie Boyle, Vice President, DGX platforms, NVIDIA. “With NVIDIA DGX GB200 systems, Block engineering and research teams can develop frontier open source AI models that can tackle complex, real-world challenges with state-of-the-art AI supercomputing.”
A key to select the right AI Cloud partner for Block and prove out hypotheses before scaling was the ability to access hundreds of interconnected NVIDIA GPUs, for a short amount of time and supported by ML engineers: Lambda 1-Click Clusters. These GPU clusters are now available with NVIDIA Blackwell.
The new DGX SuperPOD will be deployed at one of Equinix’s AI-ready data centers. These purpose-built, globally interconnected facilities provide a unique environment of data privacy and sovereignty compliance, high-performance, flexibility and low-latency edge connectivity to thousands of ecosystem partners and clouds.
“Frontier models represent the cutting edge of artificial intelligence technology, pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve, and they require the latest in AI chips – like NVIDIA’s new DGX SuperPOD,” said Jon Lin, Chief Business Officer at Equinix. “By deploying at Equinix’s neutral, cloud-adjacent platform, companies like Block can unlock expanded compute scale and flexibility. This enables the customization of AI solutions with a choice of infrastructure, cloud, models and cooling at our neutral exchange.”
Adopting NVIDIA’s latest AI infrastructure is a fast follow from Block’s launch of codename goose, an open source, interoperable AI agent framework that enables users to connect large language models (LLMs) to real-world actions. Its first use cases are related to software engineering, but developers both within Block and the broader open source community are exploring other non-engineering use cases as well.
About Block
Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) builds technology to increase access to the global economy. Each of our brands unlocks different aspects of the economy for more people. Square makes commerce and financial services accessible to sellers. Cash App is the easy way to spend, send, and store money. Afterpay is transforming the way customers manage their spending over time. TIDAL is a music platform that empowers artists to thrive as entrepreneurs. Bitkey is a simple self-custody wallet built for bitcoin. Proto is a suite of bitcoin mining products and services. Together, we’re helping build a financial system that is open to everyone. Block.xyz
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