News/AI Infrastructure
California bill requires data centers to report water usage, awaits Newsom signature
California lawmakers have passed Assembly Bill 93, which would require data centers to report their water consumption both before operating and annually thereafter. The legislation, now awaiting Governor Gavin Newsom's signature, comes as the AI-driven data center boom puts growing pressure on water resources in California and the drought-stricken Southwest. Why this matters: Data centers can consume massive amounts of water for cooling—up to 500,000 gallons per day for a 100-megawatt facility—yet many companies don't currently disclose their usage, making it difficult for communities to plan for water allocation amid ongoing shortages. Key details: The bill requires both new and...
read Sep 23, 2025UN climate chief calls AI a climate “gamechanger” but warns of energy risks
The UN's climate chief says artificial intelligence can be a "gamechanger" in tackling global heating, but governments must regulate the technology to manage its risks and energy demands. Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, emphasized that while AI offers significant potential for climate solutions, its growing energy requirements from large datacenters require immediate regulatory attention. What you should know: AI is already being deployed across multiple climate applications, from energy system optimization to industrial carbon reduction tools. The UN itself is using AI to support climate diplomacy efforts, demonstrating the technology's versatility in addressing...
read Sep 23, 2025Microsoft’s $1B Kenya data center meant to thwart China stalls amid geopolitical, commercial tensions
A $1 billion geothermal-powered data center project in Kenya, announced by Microsoft and UAE's G42 in May 2024, has stalled despite its strategic importance in the US-China tech competition for African digital infrastructure. The project was designed to leverage Kenya's abundant geothermal energy and serve as a blueprint for loosening Beijing's grip on the continent's tech ecosystem, but developers have yet to break ground with the original May 2026 deadline fast approaching. The big picture: The Olkaria data center represented a geopolitically motivated partnership between three nations—the US, UAE, and Kenya—aimed at countering China's dominance in African digital infrastructure, where...
read Sep 19, 2025Walmart deploys AI “super agents” across $815B retail empire
Walmart is implementing a comprehensive "super agents" strategy built on agentic AI, deploying autonomous systems across operations for associates, developers, customers, and suppliers. The $815 billion retail giant's unified framework represents a significant evolution from its existing AI infrastructure, positioning the company to maintain its dominance as the world's largest retailer through advanced automation and personalized experiences. What you should know: Walmart's agentic AI strategy centers on four specialized "super agents" designed to operate with minimal human intervention across key business areas. The Associate Agent handles HR inquiries and workforce management, while the Developer Agent assists software teams with coding,...
read Sep 19, 2025AI data centers use 2.7M gallons of water daily, stressing North Carolina communities
A single AI data center could consume as much water as a small town, with industry estimates showing a 250-megawatt facility using about 2.7 million gallons daily or nearly a billion gallons annually. This massive water demand is raising critical questions for North Carolina communities about resource planning, climate resilience, and whether the economic benefits of data centers justify their environmental costs. What you should know: AI data centers require enormous amounts of water for cooling systems, and unlike other water users, much of this water is lost to evaporation rather than returned to the ecosystem. "It's a meaningful chunk...
read Sep 19, 2025Oracle stock surges on reports of $20B AI deal with Meta
Oracle shares surged on reports that the company is in discussions with Meta about a potential $20 billion AI computing deal. The reported partnership would represent one of the largest enterprise AI infrastructure agreements to date, positioning Oracle as a major player in the rapidly expanding AI cloud services market. What you should know: The market responded enthusiastically to news of the potential mega-deal between Oracle and Meta.• Oracle's stock price spiked following reports of the $20 billion AI computing partnership discussions with Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram.• The deal would involve Oracle providing AI computing infrastructure and...
read Sep 19, 2025GM prevented 75 factory shutdowns this year with impressive AI implementation
General Motors has developed a sophisticated AI system that predicted Hurricane Helene's impact on a key North Carolina supplier and helped the automaker avoid costly production shutdowns. The technology has already prevented at least 75 factory stoppages this year, demonstrating how artificial intelligence can transform supply chain resilience in an industry still recovering from pandemic-era disruptions. The big picture: GM's four-pronged AI system combines predictive modeling, real-time data analysis, and automated news scanning to monitor thousands of suppliers across multiple tiers, extending far beyond traditional first-tier partnerships. Why this matters: The automotive industry faced severe production halts from 2020-2023 due...
read Sep 19, 2025Scotland’s west coast lands £15B AI industrial park in Irvine
AI Pathfinder has selected Irvine, Scotland as the location for a major artificial intelligence industrial park, with plans for up to £15 billion in investment that could transform the region into one of Europe's largest AI infrastructure hubs. The project, backed by London-based property development company Salamanca, represents a significant bet on Scotland's potential as an AI innovation center and promises substantial job creation for the area. What you should know: The i3 industrial park will begin with an initial £385 million investment starting next year, building infrastructure for other companies to use similar to cloud computing services. AI Pathfinder,...
read Sep 19, 2025UAE’s e& enterprise triples Serbia’s data center capacity to 40MW
UAE technology group e& enterprise has signed a deal with Serbia to triple the Balkan country's data center capacity to 40 megawatts, marking the latest expansion in the Emirates' global AI infrastructure push. The agreement represents part of a broader strategy by UAE-backed firms to establish digital infrastructure across Europe as growth slows in their domestic markets. The big picture: The UAE is systematically building a global network of data centers and AI infrastructure through state-backed investment vehicles, with Serbia joining a growing list of European partnerships. Key details: The Serbian deal builds on a series of recent European expansions...
read Sep 18, 2025AI storage crisis pushes hard disk drive wait times to nearly a year
AI workloads are creating an unprecedented storage crisis, with ultra-high-capacity hard disk drives now facing wait times of nearly a year and Western Digital implementing immediate price increases across its entire HDD portfolio. The surge in AI inference services from hyperscale cloud providers like Google and Oracle is generating massive data volumes that are overwhelming global storage infrastructure, forcing the industry to reconsider traditional storage strategies. What you should know: The storage shortage is most severe for the largest capacity drives, creating a supply bottleneck that could persist well into 2026. 32TB and larger HDDs now have lead times exceeding...
read Sep 18, 2025Trump DOJ targets AI companies for anticompetitive, control-of-pipeline practices
The Trump administration is actively monitoring the artificial intelligence sector for anticompetitive behavior as part of its strategy to maintain U.S. AI dominance, according to Department of Justice officials. This enforcement approach signals that federal antitrust regulators view competition protection as essential for fostering innovation in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. What you should know: The DOJ is specifically targeting exclusionary practices that could limit access to critical AI infrastructure and resources. Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater emphasized that "the competitive dynamics of each layer of the AI stack and how they interrelate, with a particular eye towards exclusionary behavior...
read Sep 18, 2025Nvidia, Microsoft, and OpenAI back UK AI startup with $700M
Nvidia, Microsoft, and OpenAI have collectively backed London-based AI infrastructure company Nscale with $700 million to dramatically expand the UK's AI computing capacity. The partnership positions the UK as a major player in the global AI infrastructure race, with plans to deploy up to 58,640 Nvidia GPUs across the country and potentially scale to 300,000 globally. What you should know: The investment transforms Nscale from a crypto mining spinoff into a cornerstone of Britain's AI ambitions. Nscale emerged from Arkon Energy, a cryptocurrency mining company, and only exited stealth mode last year. The company didn't exist when OpenAI launched ChatGPT...
read Sep 18, 2025Google brings Gemini AI to all Chrome users with cross-tab features
Google is expanding Gemini AI integration to all Chrome desktop users in the US on Windows and Mac, bringing cross-tab functionality, YouTube video navigation, and Google app integration directly into the browser. This move positions Chrome to compete directly with AI-first browsers like Perplexity's Comet and signals the mainstream arrival of AI-powered browsing experiences for billions of users. What you should know: Gemini in Chrome was previously limited to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers but is now rolling out widely with enhanced capabilities. Users can access Gemini through a new sparkle icon in the top-right corner of the tab...
read Sep 18, 2025Huawei unveils world’s most powerful AI computing systems with 1M+ NPUs
Huawei has unveiled what it claims are the world's most powerful AI computing systems, featuring SuperPoDs with up to 15,488 NPUs (neural processing units, specialized chips for AI calculations) and superclusters containing over one million NPUs. The announcement positions the Chinese tech giant as a direct challenger to Nvidia and AMD in the high-performance AI computing market, particularly as US export restrictions limit access to American-made AI chips. What you should know: Huawei's new Atlas series represents a comprehensive AI infrastructure ecosystem designed to compete with established players.• The Atlas 950 SuperPoD contains 8,192 Ascend NPUs, while the superior Atlas...
read Sep 18, 2025Dairy state data: Microsoft builds world’s most powerful computing hub in Wisconsin
Microsoft has announced plans to launch the Fairwater AI data center in Wisconsin by early 2026, which the company claims will be the "world's most powerful" AI facility. The $3.3 billion project transforms Foxconn's abandoned LCD factory site into a massive computing hub designed to accelerate Microsoft's AI training capabilities while addressing environmental concerns through innovative cooling technology. What you should know: The Fairwater data center represents a massive scale of AI infrastructure housed in repurposed industrial buildings.• The facility spans 1.2 million square feet across three buildings on 315 acres of land, utilizing the site of Foxconn's failed LCD...
read Sep 18, 2025NVIDIA buys $5B Intel stake to forge chip manufacturing partnership
NVIDIA has agreed to purchase $5 billion worth of Intel stock at $23.28 per share, making it a major shareholder in the struggling chipmaker just weeks after the U.S. government acquired a 10% stake. The strategic investment will create a new partnership where Intel manufactures NVIDIA chips while incorporating NVIDIA's RTX GPU chiplets into its own PC processors, potentially reshaping the competitive dynamics in both AI infrastructure and consumer computing markets. What you should know: The deal creates a mutually beneficial manufacturing and technology partnership between the two chip giants. Intel will build NVIDIA-custom x86 CPUs that NVIDIA will integrate...
read Sep 17, 2025Moody’s flags risks in Oracle’s massive $300B AI infrastructure bet
Moody's Ratings has flagged several potential risks in Oracle's recently signed $300 billion in AI contracts, primarily with OpenAI, though the credit rating agency stopped short of taking ratings action against the software giant. The warning highlights concerns about Oracle's heavy reliance on a small number of AI companies to fund its massive data center expansion, which Moody's considers "effectively one of, if not the world's largest, project financing." What you should know: Oracle's $300 billion contract windfall comes primarily from a five-year deal with OpenAI for computing power, representing one of the biggest cloud contracts ever signed. Oracle said...
read Sep 17, 2025Nvidia CEO invests £500M in UK cloud firm, calls Britain future AI superpower
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced a £500 million investment in British cloud computing firm NScale, declaring that "the UK is going to be an AI superpower." The investment comes as part of an £11 billion computing infrastructure push that Huang says will deliver 100 times the performance of Britain's fastest current supercomputer, positioning the UK as a major player in the global AI race. What you should know: Huang's investment represents a significant vote of confidence in Britain's AI capabilities at a time of intensifying geopolitical competition in artificial intelligence.• Nvidia is taking an equity stake in NScale and predicts...
read Sep 16, 2025CoreWeave secures $6.3B Nvidia deal with guaranteed cloud capacity buyback
CoreWeave has signed a $6.3 billion initial order with Nvidia, securing a deal where the AI chipmaker guarantees to purchase any cloud capacity not sold to customers. The agreement provides CoreWeave with crucial financial protection against potential declines in AI computing demand while cementing its position as a key Nvidia cloud partner. What you should know: The deal extends through April 2032 and builds on CoreWeave's existing partnership with Nvidia from April 2023.• CoreWeave operates AI data centers in the U.S. and Europe, offering access to Nvidia's highly sought-after GPUs used for training and running large AI models.• Shares of...
read Sep 12, 2025U.S. data center spending hits record $40B as AI drives 30% growth
U.S. data center spending reached a record $40 billion in June, marking a 30% year-over-year increase driven primarily by artificial intelligence and machine learning infrastructure demands. This unprecedented investment surge reflects how AI expansion is reshaping digital infrastructure, with tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet leading massive facility buildouts while raising critical questions about electricity grid capacity and sustainability. What you should know: The data center construction boom represents the largest infrastructure investment wave in the sector's history, with AI serving as the primary catalyst. Spending jumped from a 50% increase in 2024 to 30% growth in 2025, according...
read Sep 12, 2025OpenAI signs $300B Oracle cloud deal for massive Stargate AI project
OpenAI has signed a $300 billion cloud computing agreement with Oracle, marking one of the largest cloud contracts in history. The five-year deal, which begins in 2027, positions OpenAI to secure massive computing resources as part of the broader $500 billion Stargate AI infrastructure initiative, while providing Oracle with unprecedented revenue visibility in the rapidly expanding AI market. What you should know: The agreement forms part of Stargate, an ambitious $500 billion AI infrastructure project that includes building 4.5 gigawatts of new data center capacity. OpenAI will purchase computing power from Oracle starting in 2027, providing the AI company with...
read Sep 11, 2025Nvidia unveils Rubin CPX GPU with 128GB memory for AI inference
Nvidia has unveiled the Rubin CPX GPU, a new compute-focused graphics processor featuring 128GB of GDDR7 memory specifically designed for enterprise AI inference workloads. The announcement positions Nvidia to address the growing demand for long-context AI applications in software development, research, and high-definition video generation, with shipments planned for late 2026. What you should know: The Rubin CPX represents Nvidia's first GPU to reach 128GB memory capacity, delivering up to 30 petaFLOPs of NVFP4 compute performance.• The GPU integrates hardware attention acceleration that Nvidia claims is three times faster than the GB300 NVL72.• Four NVENC and four NVDEC units are...
read Sep 11, 2025Pennsylvania’s AI Horizons summit bets big on AI hardware with $20B investment push
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro joined Senator Dave McCormick and industry leaders at Pittsburgh's second annual AI Horizons summit, where the city is positioning itself to become a global leader in physical AI technology and hardware manufacturing. The event highlighted Pennsylvania's broader strategy to attract AI infrastructure investments and streamline regulations to capture what Shapiro called a "generational change" in economic opportunity. What you should know: Pittsburgh is specifically targeting physical AI technology manufacturing rather than just software development, aiming to produce the hardware that industries worldwide will need as AI integration accelerates. Key investment details: Shapiro highlighted Pennsylvania's success in...
read Sep 11, 2025US proposes annual permits for Samsung, SK Hynix China chip plants
Washington is considering a significant shift in how it regulates semiconductor trade with China, potentially replacing indefinite equipment import waivers for Korean chipmakers with annual permits that could reshape global memory chip production. The U.S. Department of Commerce has proposed issuing yearly licenses to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, South Korea's memory chip giants, allowing them to bring American-made manufacturing equipment into their Chinese facilities under stricter oversight. This represents a notable departure from the more permissive approach these companies previously enjoyed. The stakes for Korean chipmakers Both Samsung and SK Hynix have built substantial manufacturing operations in China that...
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