NVIDIA opens access to cuOpt AI decision-making system

NVIDIA has announced a strategic decision to make cuOpt, its advanced AI-based optimization engine, an open-source project. This unprecedented move will provide developers with free access to real-time optimization technologies capable of transforming entire industries.

The significance of this step is confirmed by the active participation of leading players in the optimization ecosystem. COPT, the Xpress team from FICO, HiGHS, IBM, and SimpleRose are already integrating or evaluating cuOpt capabilities, which will accelerate decision-making processes across various industries. Gurobi Optimization, a recognized leader in optimization, is evaluating and testing cuOpt solvers to improve first-order algorithms.

To implement the open-source project, NVIDIA is collaborating with the COIN-OR Foundation, the oldest and largest repository of software for operations research. In parallel, an international team of researchers from Arizona State University, Cornell Tech, Princeton University, University of Pavia, and the Zuse Institute in Berlin is exploring the technology’s capabilities, developing next-generation solvers and solving complex optimization problems with exceptional speed.

The practical application of the technology is impressive in its versatility:

• Airlines will be able to rebuild flight schedules in real-time to prevent cascading delays.
• Power grids will have the ability to rebalance instantly to prevent outages.
• Financial institutions will be able to manage portfolios with up-to-date risk analysis.

“While the best-known AI applications focus on predictions — whether forecasting weather or generating the next word in a sentence — that’s only half the task,” notes NVIDIA. “The real power lies in the ability to act on information in real-time.”