The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis
The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis
Moderator: Jeffrey Vetter (Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL))
Panelists: Pat McCormick (Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)), Alan Edelman (Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)), Mary Hall (University of Utah), Sadaf Alam (University of Bristol), Rio Yokota (Tokyo Institute of Technology)
Abstract: The future of high performance computing faces a software reckoning. As architectural diversity explodes—from AI accelerators and chiplet-based designs to quantum processors—our programming models, compilers, and system software are under strain. New programming systems seemingly materialize from thin air while stalwarts like Fortran struggle to keep current. Will AI help us manage the increasing complexity? Can open standards and toolchains like LLVM provide stability? How should the HPC community adapt in an era increasingly dominated by “productivity-focused” languages like Python, Rust, and Julia? This panel assembles thought leaders across architectures, languages, AI, and programming models to debate whether today's approaches are sustainable—or whether radical new software infrastructures are needed to keep science moving forward. Technology is only one factor in the solution; business models, training, and stewardship are equally, if not more, important than a specific technology.