Card texts

GPU

The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is an electronic circuit for processing computer graphics. It was designed to add graphical interfaces to computing devices and expand the possibilities for interaction. While commonly used for videogames or 3D computer graphics enterprises, the GPU's particular way of computing have made it an object of interest and necessity for the cryptocurrency rush and, more recently, for training and use of generative AI. One of the more material elements of our map, it is often an invisible hardware, playing a crucial role of translating between visual and textual human-understanding and computer models for prediction (for example, between existing images and the "calculation" of new ones). The GPU is both an object that sits next to a desktop computer, and that populates massive cloud data centres racing towards the latest flagship large language model. In a way, a domestic object, used by enthusiast to play and modify the landscape of AI, and the holy grail of the big tech AI industry.