Cosmos initiative launched by AI vendors to navigate rapid industry changes

Cosmos Initiative Launched by AI Vendors to Navigate Rapid Industry Changes

A group of leading enterprise vendors has come together to create an organisation aimed at addressing the rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. This collective, known as “Cosmos”, is designed to function similarly to the Open Compute Project, providing a communal platform where industry professionals can exchange resources and experiences.

The initiative is spearheaded by VAST Data, with co-founder Jeff Denworth at the forefront. Denworth has expressed concerns about the “undigestible rate of change” within AI technologies, describing its evolution as “breathtaking” and noting the difficulties faced by users attempting to stay abreast of the developments. His vision for Cosmos is to serve as a neutral space, akin to a ‘watercooler’, for the discussion and dissemination of AI knowledge across the industry.

The model for Cosmos includes inspiration from the Open Compute Project, which is known for its hardware designs and best practices contributions from member organisations, shared openly for communal benefit. Additionally, it draws parallels with the RSA conference, a noted event within the cybersecurity sphere that covers a wide range of topics beyond its titular vendor.

To ensure the success of Cosmos, Jonas Roslan, an experienced community manager with previous roles at VMware, Rocky Linux, and Dell EMC, has been appointed to lead the endeavour. Denworth has indicated that a code of conduct has been established, and recruitment is underway for experts to head various content tracks.

One example of how Cosmos will operate involves an organisation currently engaged in large language model development, which has been invited to oversee an ethical AI track. VAST Data has confirmed its commitment to prioritising features developed through these tracks.

Denworth acknowledged the initial challenges faced by Cosmos, likening its early stage to a “chicken-and-egg” scenario due to the absence of tangible content to showcase its potential value. Nonetheless, he remains optimistic, emphasising that the venture is not a short-term effort and is equipped with sufficient resources for global event planning.

Cosmos’s membership includes a significant number of powerful entities in the tech world, such as NVIDIA, xAI, Supermicro, Deloitte, WWT, Cisco, CoreWeave, Core42, NEA, Impetus, Run:AI, and Dremio. Notably, NVIDIA’s CEO, Jensen Huang, has played a pivotal role in launching Cosmos, lending substantial credibility to the initiative.

Despite its promising start, the structure of Cosmos has drawn some scrutiny. The Open Compute Project, on which it models itself, was distinctly founded with an emphasis on open sharing of hardware designs from Facebook, aimed at expanding the supplier ecosystem. In contrast, Cosmos members have explicit commercial interests. Furthermore, the full name of the organisation, “Cosmos by Vast”, suggests a branding element intertwined with the efforts.

Coinciding with the announcement of Cosmos, VAST Data has unveiled new collaborations with industry giants Nvidia, Cisco, and Equinix, further expanding its influence and reach within the AI sector. As the initiative gathers momentum, the coming months will likely reveal how effective Cosmos can be in addressing industry challenges and facilitating cooperation among the major players in AI technology.

Source: Noah Wire Services