Sferical is the shared AI system set up by SEB, Astrazeneca, Ericsson, Saab and SKF in the consortia-company Sferical AI. It uses Nvidia technology and is run in Sweden. The platform gives the partners access to powerful computing resources while allowing them to keep close control of their data, models and operations.
“AI is becoming an increasingly important capability for SEB. Now that Sferical is up and running, we are taking an important step towards using AI on a larger scale. This investment gives us more flexibility, control and capacity to develop leading-edge solutions for our customers, while we continue working with leading technology partners”, says Henrik Magnusson, Chief Information Officer and Head of Group Technology.
One part of a wider mix
Sferical AI is part of SEB’s wider approach to AI, which combines different vendors. The bank will continue to use a range of platforms and technologies, choosing the best option based on business value, security, performance and regulatory requirements.
At first, the focus will be on ready-to-use AI services and tools that can be used across the bank. These can help employees find information, analyse data, develop software and create solutions that combine AI with SEB’s own information. The aim is to deliver clear business value while building in security, governance and compliance from the start.
The infrastructure has around 1,200 graphics processing units. It is set up so that each partner can keep its part of the computing capacity and data separate, while sharing knowledge and working together when useful.
“The infrastructure and governance are now in place, and is ready for the first use cases. The next step is to introduce it more widely in a controlled way and give more teams across SEB access to advanced AI tools”, says Johan Westman, an architect in Group Technology and SEB’s operational sponsor for Sferical AI.
SEB’s overarching goal with Sferical is to give the bank secure access to leading AI technology that can grow with its needs, reduce reliance on any single provider and help develop new solutions based on its own data and expertise.