AI News Monitor

BEIJING — China has activated what researchers describe as the world’s largest distributed artificial intelligence computing pool, linked by a groundbreaking high-speed data network developed over more than a decade, state media reported last week.

The new system, known as the Future Network Test Facility, officially began operations on Dec. 3. It connects top computing centers scattered across 40 Chinese cities with over 34,000 miles of dedicated optical fiber, allowing them to operate with near-seamless efficiency as a unified, continent-scale supercomputer.

According to the official Science and Technology Daily, the network achieves a milestone in coordination: the 1,243-mile-wide computing pool can operate at 98 percent of the efficiency of a single, massive data center. This capability is poised to dramatically accelerate the development of powerful AI models and other advanced technologies.

“The implications of this dedicated data highway are revolutionary for scenarios with extremely high real-time demands, such as AI large model training, telemedicine and the industrial internet,” said Liu Yunjie, a chief director of the project and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, in the report.

At the heart of the facility is what engineers call a “deterministic network.” Unlike the unpredictable traffic of the conventional internet, this system schedules data packets like a precision railway, guaranteeing ultra-low latency and near-zero loss. This reliability is critical for national projects like “East Data West Computing,” which aims to shift energy-intensive data processing from China’s crowded eastern coast to cleaner-energy western regions.

The performance gains are significant. Mr. Liu said training a large AI model with hundreds of billions of parameters could be shortened by several months on the new network, with each computational iteration taking just 16 seconds compared to over 36 seconds on a standard network.

The facility also showcases staggering data transfer capabilities. In a demonstration last week, a 72-terabyte data set from China’s massive FAST radio telescope was transmitted 1,000 kilometers (about 621 miles) in 1.6 hours—a task that would take roughly 699 days on the regular internet, the report said.

Born from a 2013 national plan for major science infrastructure, the project has yielded 206 international and domestic standards and 221 invention patents. Its developers say it has already supported research into next-generation 5G Advanced and 6G wireless technologies.

“Going forward, both research institutions and enterprises will be able to test various new technologies on this platform,” said Wu Hequan, another academy engineer involved in the project’s evaluation.

The activation of the network marks a substantial step in China’s long-term strategy to achieve self-reliance and leadership in foundational technologies, providing a powerful new tool for its scientific and industrial ambitions.