The nine inch processor will significantly cut down time taken for creating AI computing models.

Online apps and digital services made available via high-speed connectivity are quickly becoming the norm for every walk of life, but the right kind of hardware, be it smartphones and laptops or the infrastructure that supports an ecosystem, is also needed to enter the virtual realm. Microchips which are powerhouses of performance have been making sure that these high-tech gadgets function smoothly, which is why a shortage of these tiny electronic platforms has become a cause for concern globally.

Cities like Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi in the gulf are moving towards the future at an accelerated pace, and require the best gadgets, most realistic robots, top-notch autonomous vehicles and state-of-the-art medtech devices to get there. After hosting the world's largest solar park in the Emirati desert for its clean energy push, the Middle East is going big once again to welcome a nine inch computer chip, which is massive in comparison to microprocessors fused into every other electronics out there.

Designed by US-based firm Cerebras, the new chip is a lot more than just some gimmick, since it also promises to maximise the performance of machine learning algorithms in the Middle East, so that emerging smart cities can make the most of intelligent tech solutions. The idea is to cut down time taken for creating AI computing models to boost research, analysis and movement of data, from a few days or months to just a few minutes.

For a region where healthcare and sustainable living are largely dependent on digital solution, the world's biggest electronic chip will accelerate AI used for drug research as well as measures to mitigate climate damage. The firm already has a history of enabling drugmaker GSK to reduce the time taken for preparing pharmaceuticals for advanced stages of testing.

Launched in collaboration with an Emirati cloud firm, the chip can later be used for elevating services like satellite imaging and remote sensing, to map out the region.