Mariana Bezuhla, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, has purchased a specialized mini-computer, the ASUS Ascent GX10, designed for local artificial intelligence operations. The device, which she has named “Athena,” aims to ensure complete confidentiality while handling sensitive information.
Bezuhla stated that the computer, costing approximately $4,000, will be declared in her financial disclosures. She emphasized the importance of local data processing without relying on cloud subscriptions, asserting that data security is a priority in her office.
“I decided to invest in an AI computer for my office primarily to process data locally, without cloud subscriptions. This computer is not cheap, but the security of our data has its price. Everyone who works with me can be assured that privacy is valued in my office, and personal inquiries or sensitive military developments will not be leaked to platforms like ChatGPT,” Bezuhla remarked.
Prior to this acquisition, Bezuhla primarily utilized the Proton cloud AI service. She noted that while Proton offers a user-friendly interface and robust security policies, it lacks the capability to perform agency functions or provide deep automation necessary for proactive digital assistance.
Bezuhla demonstrated her technical knowledge by comparing the ASUS device to Apple’s offerings. She indicated that while Apple’s top laptops excel in standard tasks, they fall short in executing large local models and managing extensive data sets.
“The computer features an NVIDIA® GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip with 128 gigabytes of unified memory. It runs on NVIDIA DGX OS based on Ubuntu, designed for ARM architecture, similar to Apple’s Silicon processors used in MacBooks and iPhones,” she explained.
According to ASUS, the Ascent GX10 is engineered as a compact yet powerful workstation, measuring 150x150x51 mm and weighing 1.48 kg. Its specifications include:
- 1 TB or 4 TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 5.0 solid-state drive;
- AW-EM637 Wi-Fi 7 (Gig+) and Bluetooth 5.4 2*2 wireless modules;
- High-speed 10-gigabit network connectivity;
- Three USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C ports (20 Gbps) with DisplayPort 2.1 support, an additional USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port, and an HDMI 2.1 video output;
- NVIDIA ConnectX-7 SmartNIC for optimized AI computations.
Bezuhla concluded by stating her intention to explore new technologies with her assistants, focusing on responsible moderation, and promised to share updates on her experiences with the “Athena” computer.
Ukrainian lawmaker Mariana Bezuhla has acquired an ASUS Ascent GX10 mini-computer to enhance data security in her office. The device, named "Athena," will facilitate local AI operations and ensure confidentiality in handling sensitive information.