ABCI 3.0 features redesigned GPUs and enhancements that provide seven times the AI computing capacity compared to its predecessor, ABCI 2.0.

The previous version, ABCI 2.0, supported the development of advanced AI applications, including Large Language Models like those used in ChatGPT, and was nearly fully utilized due to increasing global competition in AI.

Measuring 21 meters in length, 19 meters in width, and 6 meters in height, ABCI 3.0 can perform an astonishing 6.2 quintillion computations per second using AI methodologies.

In addition to AI research, ABCI 3.0 will also be utilized to integrate multimodal generative AI with robotics.

The advanced GPUs for ABCI 3.0 were sourced from Nvidia Corp, highlighting the high demand for cutting-edge computing technology.

Hirotaka Ogawa, who oversees ABCI 3.0 operations at AIST, expressed optimism that Japanese entities will engage in advanced AI development, similar to leading U.S. companies.

The ABCI series began with the launch of ABCI 1.0 in 2018, followed by ABCI 2.0 in 2021, which included significant upgrades.

The Japanese government invested approximately 36 billion yen (about $232 million) into ABCI 3.0, equipping it with numerous GPUs to enhance AI computation.

Located at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Kashiwa campus in Chiba Prefecture, ABCI 3.0 was publicly unveiled on the same day it began operations.

ABCI 3.0 boasts approximately three times the AI computation performance of Fugaku, the supercomputer developed by the Riken research institute.

Japan's most advanced public supercomputer, ABCI 3.0, commenced full-scale operations on January 20, 2025.

With the highest computing capacity of any public supercomputer in Japan, ABCI 3.0 is designed for use by universities, research institutes, and startups.

The supercomputer will be instrumental in developing multimodal generative AI that integrates various data formats, including images, text, sound, and 3-D object measurements.