Forget about Bitcoin: this startup will pay for your spare GPU power to train AI in an open source network

Akash’s network of ‘GPUs for hire’ might be a game-changer for the way in which computing resources are allocated to train the generative AI models of tomorrow.

Akash is a company that’s hoping to flip the entire notion of cloud computing on its head by giving customers the means to ditch major providers, and instead turn to a decentralized market for compute resources.

In essence, the firm wants to crack open up market so that anyone with hardware powerful enough can offer their computing resources in exchange for cash in the form of a token. In July this year, $AKT was equivalent to $0.56.

Akash Supercloud for AI

The decentralized open source network works by pairing up prospective customers with data center providers willing to lease out their hardware, with Akash playing matchmaker.

Now, the firm has launched its Supercloud for AI platform, which hosts Nvidia H100 and Nvdia A100 GPUs that power the most powerful generative AI systems today. This is alongside the best AMD GPUs, and the best consumer-grade GPUs.

The Supercloud for AI upgrade – known as Mainnet 6 as it’s the sixth upgrade to the Mainnet network – will open up an open source marketplace for high-density GPUs.

Exising network providers, which range from small providers to hyperscalers themselves (should they wish to take part) can now successfully offer their GPUs in addition to the compute resources they already offer.

“As the network grows, it will only become more powerful, hosting greater and greater quantities of GPUs from providers around the world while becoming an integrated part of the infrastructure powering AI development,” the company said in a press release.

“It is more important than ever that these challenges are addressed with a fully open-source network — which prevents control of these resources from concentrating in the hands of a few large corporations.

The main problem with the cloud market, according to Akash, is that it’s dominated by a monopoly of four providers – Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Alibaba. The best cloud provdiders are, the firm claims, charging overinflated prices, and many of their data centers end up being underutilized to some extent.

The most powerful GPUs, meanwhile, have been hoovered by hyperscalers and major corporations, which has served to only further consolidate these business’ hold over the public cloud market.

With Akash having launched its Supercloud for AI GPU network, it could reshape the way AI models are trained in the future.