GPU

A GPU, or Graphics Processing Unit, is a chip originally designed to render video-game graphics. It turned out that the same ability to do many calculations in parallel is exactly what training and running AI models needs, and GPUs have become the workhorse hardware of modern AI.

Because demand for AI has exploded, powerful GPUs are expensive and often in short supply, and securing enough of them is a strategic priority for every major lab. They are a big part of why AI is so capital-intensive, and why running models on your own hardware, even a capable laptop or Mac, is an appealing, cost-controlled alternative for smaller workloads.

Alongside specialised chips like Google’s TPU, GPUs form the physical foundation of the compute that powers the whole field.