Key facts
- Together AI will utilize compute resources from Saudi Arabia's new AI company, Humain.
- This partnership aims to bypass U.S. restrictions on data centers.
- Saudi Arabia plans to build large AI data centers equipped with advanced Nvidia chips.
- The deal is part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative to diversify its economy.
- The U.S. has eased export controls on advanced AI chips for Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Together AI, a U.S. startup focused on open-source artificial intelligence models, has announced a strategic partnership with Humain, a newly launched Saudi Arabian company, to utilize compute power for AI development within the Kingdom. This collaboration allows Together AI to bypass potential U.S. backlash concerning data center operations.
The deal is part of Saudi Arabia's broader Vision 2030 initiative, aimed at diversifying its economy away from oil dependency and establishing itself as a regional AI leader. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has spearheaded these ambitions, with the recent launch of Humain by the Kingdom's Public Investment Fund underscoring the strategic priority of AI development.
In conjunction with this partnership, U.S. President Donald Trump has eased prior export control restrictions, granting Humain and UAE-based AI firm G42 increased access to advanced U.S.-made AI chips, particularly from Nvidia. Humain has also announced strategic collaborations with Nvidia and AMD to integrate their AI chips and infrastructure, with plans to construct massive AI data centers in Saudi Arabia over the next five years. These facilities are projected to house hundreds of thousands of Nvidia's advanced chips and have a capacity of up to 500 megawatts, with an initial deployment of 18,000 chips for a Saudi supercomputer.
Experts view these U.S.-Saudi negotiations around AI as a significant geopolitical move, with substantial financial stakes. The U.S. government seeks to maintain Saudi Arabia's alignment amidst China's growing technological influence in the Middle East. The White House has described the agreements as historic and transformative, heralding a new era of partnership between the two nations.