AI models factory boosts efficiency

In a quiet facility in Jinan, Shandong province, the soft blue glow of server clusters has replaced the roar of machinery. Here, at Inspur's Artificial Intelligence Model Factory, data streams surge through computing networks, powering the industrial-scale production of artificial intelligence models.

This pioneering facility, launched by Inspur Cloud, indicates a strategic shift in China's AI development, moving from artisanal creation to standardized manufacturing.

Xiao Xue, executive president of Inspur Group and chairman of Inspur Cloud, contrasted the old and new paradigms.

"In the past, model development was akin to handicraft work, highly reliant on the coding skills of research and development personnel, resulting in high costs and low efficiency," Xiao said.

The factory has, however, overhauled this process.

Through its nine major units, it breaks down AI production into 75 standardized procedures. This represents a leap from code craftsmen to a standardized assembly line, embodying the intensive and efficient model of modern industry.

The operational benefits are substantial. "We have compressed the model manufacturing cycle from 90 days per model per person to around 20 days," Xiao said. This industrial approach has boosted overall production efficiency by 75 percent while ensuring more stable and controllable quality.

The nine major units form a complete production chain. For example, the data workshop prepares high-quality data for training, the model workshop fine-tunes models based on this data and the evaluation center verifies if models meet client requirements.

At the heart of the operation is the self-developed Hairuo Brain in the scheduling service center.

"It generates scheduling tasks based on client orders and the workload of each production unit, enabling efficient production planning and real-time task dispatch," said Xiao. This system achieves the result of models manufacturing models, driving down costs and increasing efficiency.

Security is a foundational principle, Xiao said.

"The Inspur AI Model Factory was designed from the outset with security as a core element," he said, adding that upon order completion, clients' original data are destroyed, eliminating the risk of leakage.

Looking ahead, Inspur plans to build an intelligent agent training ground by the end of this year to further deepen the integration of AI technological innovation and industrial innovation.

"This move is set to solidify Inspur's role in advancing China's AI infrastructure," Xiao said.

zhaoruixue@chinadaily.com.cn