Apple Joins UALink Initiative to Challenge Nvidia’s AI Hardware Dominance

Apple has secured a position on the Ultra Accelerator Link Consortium board, which comprises over 65 members working on next-gen AI accelerator architectures. This partnership empowers Apple to shape the new standard and advocate for its widespread implementation. Essentially, Apple will play a role in formulating and promoting standards for linking multiple GPUs in data centers tasked with AI operations.

“UALink shows significant potential in tackling connectivity issues while opening new avenues for enhancing AI capabilities and requirements,” stated Becky Loop, Director of Platform Architecture at Apple. “With a legacy of pioneering and partnering in advancements that progress our industry, we’re thrilled to join the UALink Board of Directors.”

So, what is UALink? In simple terms, UALink is an initiative designed to challenge Nvidia’s stronghold on AI hardware. The standard is specifically intended to rival Nvidia’s proprietary NVLink technology. This explanation from Tom’s Hardware last fall elaborates:

UALink aims to establish itself as the open industry standard for scaling connections among numerous AI accelerators, positioning itself as a competitor to Nvidia’s proprietary NVLink. NVLink is Nvidia’s communication solution for GPU-to-GPU interactions in server setups, utilizing Infiniband — another technology largely controlled by Nvidia — for enhanced higher-level scaling. Infiniband now faces competition from Ultra Ethernet, another significant consortium of tech giants working towards an open standard to challenge Nvidia’s market dominance.

Supported by AMD and Intel, the UALink Consortium includes notable member companies like AWS, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. With Apple’s recent involvement, the consortium gains further momentum.

“The initial 200Gbps UALink 1.0 specification allows for the connection of up to 1,000 accelerators within an AI pod, based on the IEEE P802.3dj PHY Layer,” reveals the UALink Consortium. “This specification will be accessible to Contributor Members in 2024, with a public release planned for the first quarter of 2025.”