The Datacenter Big Bang is about to start
Michael Spencer
A.I. Writer, researcher and curator - full-time Newsletter publication manager.
Hey Everyone,
I’m very drawn to the idea that a major datacenter expansion is underway that will change the future of energy and even how BigTech is impacting climate change and environmental reforms, or worsening existing global problems in their big bet on Generative AI, investing in Cloud computing growth, and trying to dominate future markets that don’t even really exist yet.
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These are foundational years for a radically alterted future.
It turns out data centers are a big part of all of this. This is the first in a series of deep dive on what I see as a great acceleration of datacenters and the U.S. racing to lock down and create moats on AI infrastructure against their rivals. The environmental impacts of AI infrastructure also interests me and we will cover this as well today. But put simply, what is a data center?
A data center in simplified legacy terms, is simply a facility that centralizes an organization's shared IT operations and equipment for the purposes of storing, processing, and disseminating data and applications. It typically includes a variety of components such as servers, storage systems, networking equipment, and support infrastructure like power supplies and cooling systems.
I'm starting a series of deep dives on the topic. The tension between building up AI infrastructure in an AI arms race between countries and corporations, and the climate and regional impacts its going to have is just the kind of story of why the AI Supreamcy Newsletter exists that I started nearly three years ago.
Most consensus estimates put the total capacity of hyperscale facilities is set to grow almost threefold over the next six years on the back of AI demand, substantially increasing the amount of power required by those sites and sparking development of new ones. Put more simply, Hyperscale datacenter capacity is set to triple because of AI demand in a relatively short period.
You can go and read the entire article here.
The push to accelerate datacenters and AI infrastructure fabs reshapes the foundations of of what will enable the manifestation of the future AI society, whatever it will be.
AI is fueling a data center boom
OK Bo?tjan Dolin?ek
Software / Systems Engineer with Experience, professionalism, perseverance, dedication and a can-do attitude.
5 天前Nobel prizes are absolutely out of control. Issuing a chemistry Nobel for a computing innovation is like giving up on humanity. App development, system integration and modeling training should not acquire nobels in chemistry. Great work on the tools but leave the chemistry nobels to the chemists.
Software Engineering, Data & Artificial Intelligence
6 天前Sofea Farida remember our conversation? This is an informative read
Quantum Thinker, Precision based personalization - Data + Systems + People, Biohacker, Traveler, Learning enthusiast, Reader, Sports & Fitness Lover
1 周This might be a dumb question Michael Spencer, what if all the people who believe that scaling of #compute (#training or #inference) is all you need for #AGI? If #power and #water are the ultimate limiters of #datacenter growth, then the US is likely to be at a huge disadvantage. I.e. China is developing 20+ new nuclear reactors and leads in both solar, wind, and battery technology.
Principal @ Juste AI | Responsible AI, Mentoring
1 周Michael I'm wondering if you have an opinion about how the EU AI Act is classifying data centers (e.g. which ones are critical infrastructure) and the upcoming Aug 2 2025 date for complying with EU regulation if the data center is "critical infrastructure"? Or any references to work being done in this area. Thanks