Samsung SDS launches NPU subscription service for AI inference

Samsung SDS is introducing a new infrastructure service that leverages domestic artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor technology. The company announced it will offer a subscription-based service utilizing the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) developed by South Korean AI chip startup FuriosaAI.

The service is built upon FuriosaAI's second-generation NPU, named 'Renegade,' which is integrated into the Samsung Cloud Platform. NPUs are specialized system semiconductors designed to mimic the human brain's neural networks, making them highly optimized for AI computations. Samsung SDS highlighted that Renegade is particularly effective for AI inference tasks, such as generating responses from trained models, analyzing documents, and identifying images.

Compared to Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), Samsung SDS claims Renegade offers superior power efficiency and cost-effectiveness during the inference stage. This makes the NPUaaS (NPU as a Service) an attractive option for businesses looking to deploy AI applications. Companies can subscribe to NPU servers on a flexible, usage-based model, allowing them to scale their AI services according to their needs, from startups to large enterprises.

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This NPU subscription service launch is more than just offering a new cloud product; it signifies that customers can utilize high-performance AI technology more flexibly and cost-effectively.

Furthermore, the NPU inference service will be provided within a sovereign cloud environment. This is expected to appeal to public institutions with strict security regulations, assuring them of data protection and compliance. Lee Ho-jun, head of Samsung SDS's Cloud Service Division, emphasized the service's significance in enabling customers to access high-performance AI technology more flexibly and affordably.

"This NPU subscription service launch is more than just offering a new cloud product; it signifies that customers can utilize high-performance AI technology more flexibly and cost-effectively," Lee stated. Samsung SDS plans to continue diversifying its cloud-based offerings and leading the cloud AI technology ecosystem.

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We will continue to diversify cloud products based on the Samsung Cloud Platform to solve customer needs and continuously lead the cloud AI technology ecosystem.