By McKenzie Romero | Editor
It’s fast, it’s energy efficient, and it’s receiving top rankings after only being online for a few weeks.
Use of — and advancements from — the University of Utah’s “AI supercomputer,” which has been named “Redtail,” are expected to reach beyond the school’s campus to serve researchers, students, entrepreneurs and communities.
In today’s Dispatch we check in on the U.’s powerful AI tool, devastating wildfires in Washington, and what you want to know about the Great Salt Lake.
“I believe Redtail is more than one of the world’s fastest and greenest supercomputers, it is the foundation of Utah’s AI future.” — University of Utah President Taylor Randall on the university’s now operational AI supercomputer.
Redtail, the University of Utah’s “AI supercomputer” debuted among the fastest systems in the world, according to Top500. (Illustration by Alex Cochran for Utah News Dispatch)
By Alixel Cabrera
The Redtail supercomputer had an estimated price tag of $50 million, which was paid by philanthropists and the public sector, with the Utah Legislature allocating a one-time payment of $15 million for it. It includes HPE supercomputing infrastructure and NVIDIA technologies.
With the supercomputer, meant to be a resource for Utah universities, state organizations and the commercial sector, university officials say they hope to help accelerate discoveries in cancer, Alzheimer’s, mental health, and genetic and environmental research.
People watch Old Trails Fire from W. Northwest Blvd., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Spokane, Wash. (Photo by Young Kwak/AP)
WASHINGTON STATE STANDARD
By Bill Lucia
About 700 structures, including homes, have been destroyed in and around Spokane, according to an update Sunday morning from the Washington State Emergency Operations Center. The report said that more than 65,000 people were under evacuation orders.
Officials warned of extremely dangerous fire weather heading into the weekend, with dry conditions around the state and winds between 20 and 50 mph forecast east of the Cascades. Gov. Bob Ferguson on Saturday morning declared a statewide wildfire emergency and imposed a statewide burn ban.
Birds take flight over the Great Salt Lake on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
GREAT SALT LAKE COLLABORATIVE
By Heather May
Utah leaders have set a goal to raise the Great Salt Lake by seven feet to 4,198 feet above sea level by the time Utah hosts the 2034 Winter Olympics. It will be a monumental task to save and dedicate the additional 800,000 acre feet of water needed each year, especially with this year’s record-low snowpack and extreme drought.
Utah newsrooms who have banded together to cover the lake as the Great Salt Lake Collaborative will cover all of the developments by politicians, philanthropists, residents, businesses, farmers and industries. Take this quick eight-question survey so we can report on what matters to you.
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