It as further revealed plans to build what is dubbed the zeta-class supercomputer a fully developed machine that is 1000 times more advanced than the current generation models. The project is anticipated to start in 2025 at more than $750m and go online in 2030. This pioneering attempt called the “Fugaku Next”, is being spearheaded by Japanese companies RIKEN and Fujitsu which will multiply computing capabilities a thousand folds and place Japan at the cutting edge of technology.
The new supercomputer will replace Japan’s current Fugaku supercomputer, which was ranked the quickest in the world before it was displaced by the US’s Frontier in 2022. Currently, Fugaku simulations can reach 0.44 exaFLOPS and occupies the fourth place in the world, however, according to expectations of the creation of a zeta-class supercomputer will be able to perform one sextillion calculations in one second. This phenomenal advancement in the processors’ capacity is predicted to dramatically change the course of AI and machine learning, as well as other scientific computing.
The initial capital provided by the discretionary budget of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) is ¥4.2 billion ($29 million) and total cost of this project may go up to ¥110 billion ($761 million). Yet, it is the accomplishment of building such a potent machine that has profound problems mainly drawing from the aspect of energy consumption. As soon as it becomes available, a zeta-class supercomputer may consume as much power as not one, but twenty-one nuclear power plants; therefore, experts are suggesting ways of how to solve this problem.
This project has been received with interest in the scientific community and concern how such a computation resource might be utilised. The same researchers believe that increasing capacity of zeta-class supercomputer will create chances of making new discoveries on areas like global warming, design of drugs, and tough physics. It is also expected to contribute to accelerating the development of new-social systems in Japan, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, which are key areas of competition between countries.
On venturing into implementing this project, Japan has the task of not only designing this supercomputer but also the software and the algorithms that will utilize it, to its full potential, a zeta class. This effort is going to create innovation partnership between the academic institutions and the industries, and between industries and government for advancement of technology in the Japan’s tech industry.
It has also created debates over the race for technology dominance across the world again. Being powered by American and Chinese investments in supercomputing and AI technologies, the move is regarded as a Japanese attempt to continue the fight for technological dominance in the global arena.
Currently, the project will remain under close scrutiny by the scientific society of the world and the tech Industry as the project unfolds. Fugaku Next has a shot at altering the perception of the general public of what could be achieved through computing, and for the next supercomputers that shall be developed all across the world, new standards may be achieved. It also through new lights to us about the probable ethical issues and social effects of such computer powerful ability, especially in the aspect of AI and data computation.
As stated earlier, Japan has embraced the challenges of embracing the latest technological innovations of supercomputing technology. While a country is ready to start this experiment, the world is waiting for such revolutionary solutions that can appear due to the increased supercomputing capacity of the next generation.
