SoftBank plans first supercomputer with Nvidia’s Blackwell design chips

SoftBank Group Corp. will be the first to build a supercomputer with chips using Nvidia Corp.’s new Blackwell design, a demonstration of the Japanese company’s ambitions to catch up on AI.

SoftBank’s telecom unit plans to build Japan’s most powerful AI supercomputer to support a wide range of local services, the two companies said. That computer will be based on Nvidia’s DGX B200 product, which combines computer processors with so-called AI accelerator chips. A follow-up effort will feature Grace Blackwell, a more advanced version.