Microsoft has established a strategic partnership with OpenAI, which is funded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. In a statement released to the press, Microsoft and OpenAI have signed an agreement to run most of its premium experiments on Microsoft Azure.
OpenAI will make use of Azure for its experiments in deep learning and AI. However, Microsoft will collaborate with the Elon Musk-backed company on research advancements including the creation of new tools and technologies.
Previously, OpenAI has adopted the Azure N-Series Virtual Machines service developed by the Redmond-based company. The service will be available for public consumption from December 2016.
Powered by Nvidia Corp graphics, the cloud-computing services are designed for the most intensive computing workloads in addition to deep learning, machine learning, and simulations.
Commenting on the development, the company revealed through a blog post that in the upcoming months, the company will make use of thousands to tens of thousands of these machines to increase both the number of experiments we run and the size of the models we train.
To recall, the non-profit entity OpenAI was created in December 2015 to create AI that augments human capabilities. The investors have already promised a total funding of $1 billion for the start-up. However, the company is planning to spend only a small amount in the forthcoming years.
Meanwhile, OpenAI will continue to develop and update open-source software. This will enable users to run large-scale AI workloads on the cloud. Furthermore, it will help Microsoft to gather feedback to make sure that Azure’s capabilities keep pace with its advances in AI.
In addition to Elon Musk, OpenAI has been funded by venture capitalist Sam Altman, Peter Thiel and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.
