At Google Cloud Next ’25, Google revealed Ironwood. This is their seventh-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU). It’s the first TPU made just for AI inference, not training. This shows a big change in AI infrastructure. It meets the rising need for models that process data in real time and create insights ahead of time. Google calls this the “Era of Inference.”
Ironwood is designed for the high demands of next-generation generative AI. It meets both computational and communication needs effectively. It supports big deployments with up to 9,216 liquid-cooled chips. These chips connect using a fast inter-chip interconnect (ICI) network. The system can scale to nearly 10 megawatts. This architecture fits into Google Cloud’s AI hypercomputer framework. It blends optimized hardware and software. This combination boosts performance and efficiency for complex AI tasks.
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The launch highlights a bigger trend in the industry. AI systems are becoming more autonomous, driven by insights, and able to make ongoing inferences. Ironwood is designed to be scalable and energy-efficient. This helps Google lead in supporting advanced AI applications in the cloud. It meets the growing need for infrastructure that handles real-time, high-volume inference tasks.
