On the 25th, artificial intelligence (AI) corporation Upstage announced that it will equip its own large language model (LLM) with the next-generation neural processing unit (NPU) of local AI fabless corporation FuriosaAI.
The two corporations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for collaboration on NPU-based generative AI business on this day. The plan is to optimize and incorporate FuriosaAI’s next-generation NPU, 'Renegade,' into Upstage LLM 'Solar.' Based on this, they will jointly promote on-premises AI infrastructure construction projects and aim to target both domestic and international markets. Previously, in 2022, Upstage equipped its optical character recognition (OCR) solution with FuriosaAI's first-generation NPU, 'Warboy.'
Upstage noted, 'With U.S. Nvidia virtually monopolizing the AI semiconductor market and the offensive from overseas big tech LLMs intensifying, we will contribute to the self-sufficiency of AI infrastructure and the securing of technological sovereignty through the commercialization of domestic NPU-based generative AI solutions.'
Kim Seong-hoon, CEO of Upstage, stated, 'This collaboration, which implements everything from AI software to hardware with domestic technology, represents a meaningful step toward the self-sufficiency of the domestic AI industry.' He added, 'In the future, Upstage will continue to prove the technological competitiveness of 'K-AI' in the global market based on close cooperation with FuriosaAI.'