New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the launch of Empire AI Beta on Aug. 5, giving researchers across SUNY schools access to what she called the "most powerful academic research computer" in the United States. The $40 million NVIDIA-powered supercomputer, hosted at SUNY Buffalo, will serve more than 300 AI-assisted research projects already in line to use the system.
The launch came one day after the National Science Foundation revealed a $100 million initiative to increase AI resources nationwide. The NSF program will establish AI Infrastructure Hubs across the country, bringing together industry and research leaders to support researchers in the United States.
An 11-fold jump in training capacity
Empire AI Beta is a major step up from Empire AI Alpha, which launched in 2024. The new system increases AI-training capacity 11-fold, data storage 8-fold, and AI inference by 40 times, according to Hochul.
"New York State built Empire AI to show that artificial intelligence can be developed for the public good and with Empire AI Beta officially online, New York is giving our researchers the most powerful academic AI research computer in the country," Hochul said.
The supercomputer runs on NVIDIA hardware and will support AI-assisted research across all SUNY campuses. It gives researchers working in AI for Science & Research more room to train large models and run inference at scale.
Binghamton's role in the AI push
Binghamton University is central to New York's AI strategy. In January, a $55 million investment created the Center for AI Responsibility and Research at Binghamton. The center's funding came from the largest academic donation in university history plus $25 million from the state.
The NSF's new initiative will support up to 10 AI Infrastructure Hubs nationwide. The agency says the hubs will bring together industry and Research leaders to support researchers across the country. Hochul said the hubs embrace the same core principle behind Empire AI.
Why this matters for science and research professionals
For researchers who depend on high-performance computing, the practical effect is straightforward: faster model training, larger datasets, and quicker inference. Empire AI Beta's 40-fold increase in AI inference alone means experiments that took days can now finish in hours. Researchers across SUNY schools can apply to use the system through the Empire AI program, and the NSF hubs may open similar doors nationally.
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