Nvidia, a prominent semiconductor company, has garnered widespread attention in the technology sector due to the remarkable capabilities of its H-100 processor. This chip, comparable in size to a hardback book, has propelled the company headquartered in Santa Clara to an impressive valuation exceeding $2 trillion. At the core of this groundbreaking processor lies the legacy of “Amazing Grace” Hopper, a pioneering Rear Admiral in the US Navy who played a pivotal role in the development of programming languages.
Nvidia has firmly established its dominance by supplying approximately 80% of the global market in chips utilized for AI applications. The demand for their H-100 chips, named in honor of Hopper, has surged to the extent that they need to be transported in armoured vehicles. In fact, some customers are facing a waiting period of up to six months to acquire these coveted chips, as stated by the Wall Street Journal.
The significance of Hopper’s contributions to Nvidia and AI computing as a whole was underscored last summer when Jensen Huang, the founder and CEO of Nvidia, unveiled the company’s next generation of accelerated computing and generative AI chips: the GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip.
Grace Hopper’s journey commenced in 1906 in New York City. After obtaining degrees in mathematics and physics from Vassar College in 1928, she joined the navy following the US’s entry into World War II. Despite facing initial rejection from the navy due to her age and stature, she ultimately secured a position in the Bureau of Ships computation project at Harvard, where she contributed to the Mark I, the first US electromechanical computer, performing tasks such as computing rocket trajectories and calibrating minesweepers.
Following the war, Hopper joined the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation, later known as Sperry Rand, where she played a pivotal role in the concept of automatic programming. In 1952, she developed the first compiler, a program that translates written instructions into computer codes. In an interview in 1980, Hopper articulated her vision for making computer usage more accessible, stating, “What I was after in beginning English language [programming] was to bring another whole group of people able to use the computer easily … I kept calling for more user-friendly languages.”
Hopper’s contributions did not go unnoticed. She retired from the navy as a Rear Admiral at the age of 79, making her the oldest serving officer in the US armed forces. She was acknowledged for her groundbreaking work, receiving the National Medal of Technology in 1991 from President George HW Bush, and posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the US, in 2016.
In a 1983 interview, Hopper was questioned about the future of the computer revolution. Her response was unwavering: “No, we’re only at the beginning … We’ve got the Model T.”
The enduring impact of Grace Hopper’s pioneering work on computing and programming is evident in Nvidia’s sustained success. As the technology giant advances in the ever-evolving landscape of AI and computing, Hopper’s legacy remains a source of inspiration for innovation and progress.
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