Blackwell Architecture and GPT‑5.5: Is the Nvidia–OpenAI Partnership a Step Toward AGI?

What makes the Blackwell B200 the world’s most powerful AI processor? At GTC 2024, Nvidia unveiled its next-gen Blackwell architecture with the B200 GPU and GB200 superchip, boasting 208 billion transistors and unprecedented energy efficiency. OpenAI has already begun training GPT‑5.5 on this new platform—a move widely seen as a significant step toward AGI (Artificial General Intelligence).

What Is the Blackwell Architecture?

Blackwell is Nvidia’s latest data center GPU architecture, built on a 4NP process and integrating 208 billion transistors. It combines two GB100 chips into a single superchip (the GB200), while the fifth-generation NVLink connects GPUs at a blazing 1.8 TB/s—setting a new standard for compute power.

GPT‑5.5 and OpenAI—Why Does It Matter?

Powered by the GB200, OpenAI uses this platform to train GPT‑5.5 and accelerate AGI research. In MLPerf benchmarks, the B200 delivers around 2.2 times the performance of the H100—making it the top choice for large language models and advanced AI workloads.

Advantages and Energy Efficiency

The GB200 offers up to 30 times the inference throughput of the H100, while cutting energy use by up to 25 times. Innovations like the second-generation Transformer Engine, FP4/FP8 support, and modular design dramatically increase efficiency for AI tasks at scale.

Risks and Technical Challenges

Despite huge progress, several hurdles remain—such as thermal management, advanced cooling solutions, and potential supply chain bottlenecks. It’s still uncertain how well this architecture performs under sustained server workloads over time.

The Future AI Technology Map

With the GB200 NVL72 system, Nvidia is rolling out next-gen data centers across Europe. The question is how OpenAI will leverage these resources not only for GPT‑5.5 but also for future AGI applications.

Conclusion

Blackwell and GPT‑5.5 highlight how AI progress is now as much about hardware as algorithms. AGI might still be on the horizon, but breakthroughs in technology are rapidly bringing it within reach.

📌 Do you believe AGI is already at our doorstep—or is this just another round of hype?

✍ Thornike • June 25, 2025