In partnership with Groq, Aramco Digital introduces Norous, an advanced AI platform designed to transform workplaces and establish Saudi Arabia as a major global AI hub.
According to media reports, Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence with a groundbreaking partnership between Aramco Digital and Groq, the world’s second-largest AI semiconductor company.
Unveiled at the Global AI Summit (GAIN) in Riyadh, their new generative AI model, ‘Norous,’ is set to revolutionise workplace productivity and transform the Kingdom into an AI compute hub capable of reaching 4 billion people across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Jonathan Ross, CEO of Groq, highlighted Saudi Arabia’s strategic importance, pointing out that its vast energy resources and dynamic business climate make it the perfect location for this ambitious AI project. “Saudi Arabia’s position at the nexus of 4 billion people offers unparalleled opportunities for AI expansion,” said Ross.
The partnership aims to leverage Groq’s advanced AI chips to power Norous, reaching 25 million tokens per second by early 2025 and eventually expanding to 1 billion tokens.
Norous is designed to streamline workflows by enabling employees to complete tasks using vocal commands, eliminating the need for switching between applications. Whether creating an organisational structure or scheduling meetings, Norous allows users to execute these tasks seamlessly on one intelligent platform. Tareq Amin, CEO of Aramco Digital, explained how this hands-free technology will reshape the future of work.
Groq, known for its industry-leading AI chips, is crucial in powering Norous. The company’s language processing unit can currently handle 544 tokens per second, making it one of the fastest AI chips in the world.
Ross outlined Groq’s vision of expanding the Kingdom’s computing capabilities to 1 billion tokens per second, turning Saudi Arabia into a significant exporter of AI technology.
“Once we reach 1 billion tokens, we’ll not only be able to serve Saudi Arabia but also provide AI services to Europe, Africa, and even parts of India,” Ross added.
This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Saudi Arabia, aligning with the Kingdom’s broader ambitions to become a global leader in technology and AI. In addition to Norous, Aramco Digital has developed a custom operating system, NourOS, designed to operate entirely through natural language commands. This system allows users to interact with the platform more intuitively, from querying information to setting up complex operational processes.
Groq’s involvement in the project also highlights the growing competition in the AI semiconductor space. Groq is rapidly expanding its influence, with over 444,000 developers worldwide using its application programming interface (API). The company’s cutting-edge chips are at the heart of this partnership, providing the scalable infrastructure needed to turn Norous from concept into reality.
As the Kingdom continues its march toward becoming an AI hub, Aramco Digital and Groq’s partnership underscores the vast potential of AI to reshape industries, not only within Saudi Arabia but globally. With the rapid advancements in AI compute power, the collaboration between these two tech giants could see Saudi Arabia emerge as a key exporter of AI technologies, delivering high-speed, hands-free AI solutions to billions of people across three continents.
