Georgia Tech Opens Nexus AI Supercomputer to All US Researchers

Researchers across the United States can now utilize the computational power of Nexus, an artificial intelligence supercomputer located at the Coda Data Center in Atlanta. Georgia Tech has officially opened this resource to scientists nationwide through cloud-based services, enabling remote access to significant processing capabilities from any location in the country.

Nexus Access and Capabilities

While standard computers struggle with complex problems that require extensive calculation time, supercomputers manage these tasks by distributing workloads across numerous resources simultaneously. This parallel processing approach accelerates solution generation significantly. For instance, in hurricane modeling, a supercomputer divides the atmospheric problem into small three-dimensional boxes. Each processor handles simulation data for its assigned box and exchanges information with neighboring processors to construct a comprehensive storm model.

The construction of Nexus involved a $20 million investment from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and was developed in partnership with The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Although current industry focus often separates artificial intelligence development from traditional high-performance computing, Nexus offers a unified platform. It allows research teams to perform simulations, process large datasets, and build AI models within the same integrated environment rather than using separate systems.

Strategic Research Impact

Ángel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech, stated in a press release that this resource will help researchers accelerate discovery and strengthen collaboration in fields where advanced computing makes a meaningful difference. He emphasized that expanding national computing capacity reflects the institution's commitment to advancing research that drives progress and improves lives.

The system supports diverse scientific areas, including drug discovery, energy, neuroscience, and robotics. As a national resource, 90 percent of Nexus’s computing capacity is allocated through an open, peer-reviewed process coordinated by the NSF. Irina Dolinskaya, head of the NSF Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, noted that combining advanced computing capabilities with community expertise broadens the range of scientific questions researchers can address. She added that the project strengthens the nation’s capacity for AI-enabled discovery as part of a broader effort to enhance America’s research infrastructure.

Charles Isbell, chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, highlighted the complementary expertise brought by both institutions. He expressed excitement about contributing to the National Center for Supercomputing Application’s decades of experience in operating national-scale computing resources. Isbell stated that the partnership aims to build infrastructure that enables discovery and ultimately improves the lives of those served by the research.