AI Photo: VCG
A cutting-edge intelligent computing center was launched in Lingshui,
MK sports Korea South China's Hainan Province on Tuesday. A new underwater data capsule was placed on the sea floor and linked to an existing underwater data center, together forming a powerful computing cluster to support the country's growing artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
The capsule, measuring 18 meters in length and 3.6 meters in diameter, houses more than 400 high-performance servers. It connects to client data terminals via a coastal station nearby, according to China Media Group (CMG).
The center's computing power is equivalent to 30,000 high-end gaming computers computing at the same time, and one second can complete the computation volume of ordinary computers for one year. This capacity supports AI assistants powered by DeepSeek, capable of handling up to 7,000 intelligent conversations per second, said CMG.
Intelligent computing centers are critical assets for AI research, training and applications, offering powerful computational resources that are expected to accelerate AI innovation, Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday, adding that the new center in Hainan will significantly enhance China's competitive edge in the global AI landscape.
Linking the center to the existing underwater data hub in Hainan allows for resource sharing and greater synergy, boosting overall computational power and efficiency. It will not only reduce operating costs but also improve resource utilization, Wang said.
The center uses seawater as a natural coolant to optimize energy efficiency, saving land, fresh water and electricity. Moreover, the underwater facility provides enhanced security and stability, due to the stable environment in the deep sea, according to Wang.
As of Tuesday, the center had signed agreements with nearly 10 companies, which plan to apply its capabilities in AI model training, industrial simulations, game development, and marine science research, CMG reported.
Across China, cities are rapidly developing their own intelligent computing centers to meet the growing demand for digital transformation and industry automation. Data from International Data Corp (IDC) showed that between 2022 and 2024, there were 219 projects for such centers, spanning 81 cities in 28 provinces.
IDC forecasts that from 2022 to 2027, China's intelligent computing capacity will grow at a stunning annual compound rate of 33.9 percent.
These intelligent computing centers are designed to support AI applications by providing computing, data and algorithm services based on AI-driven architectures, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
