OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank Plan Five New AI Data Centers For $500 Billion Stargate Project

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank on Tuesday announced plans for five new artificial intelligence data centers in the United States to build out their ambitious Stargate project. [...] ChatGPT-maker OpenAI said on Tuesday it will open three new sites with Oracle in Shackelford County, Texas, Dona Ana County, New Mexico and an undisclosed site in the Midwest. Two more data center sites will be built in Lordstown, Ohio and Milam County, Texas by OpenAI, Japan's SoftBank and a SoftBank affiliate.

The new sites, the Oracle-OpenAI site expansion in Abilene, Texas, and the ongoing projects with CoreWeave will bring Stargate's total data center capacity to nearly 7 gigawatts and more than $400 billion in investment over the next three years, OpenAI said. The $500 billion project was intended to generate 10 gigawatts in total data center capacity. "AI can only fulfill its promise if we build the compute to power it," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a statement. The Tuesday's announcement, expected to create 25,000 onsite jobs, follows Nvidia saying on Monday that it will invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI and supply data center chips. OpenAI and partners plan to use debt financing to lease chips for the Stargate project, people familiar with the matter said.

Facebook's new data center

[rsilvergun]

Apparently roughly the size of Manhattan. The locals are freaking out because it's going to suck out all their water and drive their electricity bills through the roof but they can't do anything because there's just so much money involved.

When I say that AI is an antisocial technology that's what I mean. I don't mean anti-social in the sense of being mean or not wanting to play with the other kids. I mean it's genuinely against the goals of a healthy society and civilization.

Everything is automated

[thesjaakspoiler]

so not much lasting jobs are created by such data centers compared to other industries.
And one can't feed a population with AI data centers. A pound of carrots can.

You don't even get local construction jobs

[rsilvergun]

Building out those data centers is highly specialized work so besides maybe throwing up the exterior frame which is hardly anything they bring people in from outside to do everything else

Re:

[Targon]

Funny how when a power company needs to build a new power plant, and upgrade the power distribution infrastructure, those costs get spread out across the entire customer base, but then these AI datacenter projects only have the datacenters paying the cost of the electricity used and the IMMEDIATE connection expenses.

Make no mistake, the prices of EVERYONE go up to help the profits of wealthy business owners and corporations. The actual benefit to the public is a NEGATIVE.

Re:

[SlashbotAgent]

yet no one equates farms with environmental collapse.

Farming is constantly under attack over environmental issues. Cow farts causing global warming. Excessive water use. Run off and water contamination.

Most of the attacks are hyperbole based on cluelessness and misinformation. But, the mob mentality against farming is terrifying. I don't know what the pearl clutchers plan to eat.

Re:

[jacks smirking reven]

No shot, farmers are probably the second most venerated people in America outside of active military. Hell farmers are celebrated more than most veterans I would say. Every campaign has a big focus around farmers, news agencies sitting in Iowa diners getting the scoop on what the "real Americans" think.

This idea that farmers are under attack is a conservative media creation intended to further the rural/urban divide, that's why issues like water use and run off are framed as "attacks" instead of legitimat

Re: Facebook's new data center

[Joe_Dragon]

It takes an lot of power to dial an star gate

Re:

[cstacy]

It's a hell of a good cover story!

The Chinese have already proven by example that you don't need such massive electricity to train and run the AIs. But the Americans, with their superior tech, can't match that. They need multiple power plants, out in the dessert where nobody can see what's going on, to power their AI chips.

Huge amounts of power, that goes into a black box where we can't see what it really is. A trickle goes to the AI data center. Meanwhile, some levels underground, we are locking chevron 6

Stargate

[cstacy]

Wasn't that about false gods?

Re:

[Gravis Zero]

Wasn't [Stargate] about false gods?

As I recall, it was about killing false gods. ;)

Re:

[Fly Swatter]

That's only if you see the main cast as the good guys...

I Will Totally Believe It...

[SlashbotAgent]

I will totally believe it when I say it.

There has been an awful lot of $500 billion promises from the tech sector lately. I don't believe a word of it.

openAI seems to be at the heart of all the bubbly news lately. There are too many promises and too much irrational exuberance.

12 times the cost of the Manhattan project

[greytree]

$500 billion is about 12 times the cost of the Manhattan project.

Stargate won't go 'bang' though, it will go 'psssss' as all the air comes out of this crazy bubble.

 

Your doing it wrong.

[Fly Swatter]

The human brain takes way less energy than that. Find another fucking way to do AI. At this point every AI query undoes the benefits of one LED lightbulb ffs.