Google intensifies its partnership with Facebook on AI tech

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Deepening their partnership on the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, Google is integrating Facebook's open source Machine Learning (ML) PyTorch framework across its software and hardware tools for AI development.

PyTorch is a deep learning framework designed for easy and flexible experimentation and Facebook on Tuesday announced the preview release of an updated version of the framework - PyTorch 1.0.

The new partnership is aimed at making PyTorch framework work with Google's custom computer chips for ML, dubbed Tensor Processing Units, or TPU, Fortune.com reported. 

"In conjunction with today's release of PyTorch 1.0 Preview, we are broadening support for PyTorch throughout Google Cloud's AI platforms and services," Rajen Sheth, Director of Product Management, Google Cloud wrote in a blog post on Tuesday. 

ML developers use many different tools, and Google has integrated several of the most popular open source frameworks into its products and services, including TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, and XGBoost.

"Today, we're pleased to announce that engineers on Google's TPU team are actively collaborating with core PyTorch developers to connect PyTorch to Cloud TPUs," Sheth said on the blog. 

"The long-term goal is to enable everyone to enjoy the simplicity and flexibility of PyTorch while benefiting from the performance, scalability, and cost-efficiency of Cloud TPUs," he added. 

PyTorch 1.0 accelerates the workflow involved in taking breakthrough research in AI to production deployment, Facebook said.