News/AI Infrastructure
AI experts visit China, get shook by its energy advantage
American AI experts recently returned from China with sobering observations about the country's energy infrastructure, concluding that China's abundant electricity supply gives it a decisive advantage in the AI race. The stark contrast highlights how U.S. grid limitations could severely constrain American AI development while China operates from a position of energy abundance. What you should know: China has solved the power problem that's becoming a critical bottleneck for U.S. AI development. "Everywhere we went, people treated energy availability as a given," wrote Rui Ma, founder of Tech Buzz China, after touring China's AI hubs. In contrast, surging AI demand...
read Aug 14, 2025Northern Data partners with Core42 to bring 10K GPUs to Europe
Northern Data, a German cloud computing company, has struck a major partnership with Core42, the cloud division of UAE-based artificial intelligence holding company G42, to dramatically expand AI computing capacity across Europe. The agreement grants Core42 access to up to 10,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) from Northern Data's Taiga Cloud platform, representing one of the largest AI infrastructure deals announced this year. This partnership reflects the growing global race to build "sovereign AI infrastructure"—computing resources that nations and regions can control independently rather than relying entirely on foreign cloud providers. For businesses, this means potentially faster, more reliable access to...
read Aug 14, 2025Server Economy: Foxconn profits surge 27% as AI infrastructure demand booms
Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker, reported a 27% surge in second-quarter profit to T$44.4 billion ($1.48 billion), beating analyst expectations driven by booming demand for AI servers. The Taiwan-based manufacturer, which assembles iPhones for Apple and servers for Nvidia, expects AI server revenue to jump more than 170% year-over-year in the third quarter as artificial intelligence infrastructure spending accelerates. Key financial highlights: Foxconn's Q2 performance significantly outpaced market forecasts, with net profit reaching T$44.4 billion compared to the consensus estimate of T$38.8 billion. The company reported record second-quarter revenue last month, primarily fueled by strong AI product demand....
read Aug 13, 2025SK Hynix forecasts 30% annual high-bandwidth memory growth through 2030 as AI demand surges
SK Hynix is forecasting explosive growth in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market, projecting a 30% annual expansion through 2030 as AI infrastructure demand surges globally. The South Korean memory giant's optimistic outlook comes as it solidifies its position as Nvidia's primary HBM supplier, with the custom HBM sector expected to reach tens of billions of dollars by decade's end. What you should know: SK Hynix anticipates sustained AI demand will drive unprecedented growth in specialized memory technology over the next six years. The company projects 30% annual growth rates for HBM through 2030, fueled by expanding AI infrastructure requirements from...
read Aug 13, 2025Tornado Valley? Google invests $9B in Oklahoma AI and cloud infrastructure
Google will invest an additional $9 billion in Oklahoma over the next two years to expand its artificial intelligence and cloud computing infrastructure. The massive investment underscores the intensifying competition among Big Tech companies to secure strategic locations and talent as demand for AI services and cloud computing continues to surge. Key details: The investment will fund significant infrastructure expansion across two Oklahoma locations.• Google plans to build a new data center campus in Stillwater while expanding its existing facility in Pryor.• The expansion aims to bolster U.S. AI and cloud capacity to meet growing demand for these services.• The...
read Aug 13, 2025Helium cooling aims to eliminate AI data centers’ massive water waste
Here's an idea they'd like to float by you: helium, not water. Data centers powering artificial intelligence are generating unprecedented amounts of heat, forcing the industry to rethink how it keeps these digital powerhouses from overheating. A new partnership between Tidal NRG and Innov8 Gases aims to solve this mounting challenge with an unexpected solution: helium-based cooling systems that could eliminate the massive water consumption plaguing traditional data center operations. The collaboration addresses a critical bottleneck in AI infrastructure. As companies race to deploy increasingly powerful AI models, the computing hardware required for training and running these systems generates enormous...
read Aug 13, 2025LG CNS partners with Vietnam telecom giant to build hyperscale AI data center
LG CNS has partnered with Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) and Korea Investment Real Asset Management to develop a hyperscale artificial intelligence data center in Vietnam. The collaboration represents a significant expansion into Southeast Asia's rapidly growing data center market, projected to reach $30.5 billion by 2030, while supporting Vietnam's national digital transformation priorities. What you should know: The partnership will establish a comprehensive AI infrastructure project spanning facility construction, hardware deployment, and network systems.• The three parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Korea-Vietnam Business Forum in Seoul to advance the AI facility construction.• A dedicated technical...
read Aug 13, 2025CoreWeave stock drops 14% on earnings miss despite $1.21B revenue beat
CoreWeave's stock plummeted 14% after the AI data center provider reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss of 27 cents per share, missing analyst expectations of 21 cents. The disappointing results come just ahead of the company's post-IPO lockup expiration on Thursday evening, which could unleash additional selling pressure from insiders previously restricted from trading their shares. What you should know: Despite missing profit expectations, CoreWeave delivered strong revenue growth that more than tripled year-over-year. The company reported $1.21 billion in second-quarter revenue, surpassing Wall Street's $1.08 billion forecast. Revenue guidance was raised to between $5.15 billion and $5.35 billion for 2025,...
read Aug 12, 2025AI data centers cause $6B in health damage, projected to hit $20B by 2030
Data centers supporting AI applications are rapidly expanding across the United States, with California's Santa Clara County housing most of the state's 270 facilities and expecting energy demand to nearly double by 2035. The explosive growth is creating significant environmental and public health challenges for neighboring communities, who face constant noise pollution, toxic air emissions, and higher electricity costs while local and federal officials continue to incentivize rather than regulate the industry. The big picture: The proliferation of AI-driven data centers is creating a cascade of environmental and social problems that officials are largely ignoring in favor of economic incentives....
read Aug 12, 2025AI cloud provider CoreWeave reports $1.21B revenue, $30.1B backlog
CoreWeave, an Nvidia-backed AI cloud computing company, exceeded Wall Street revenue expectations for the second quarter, reporting $1.21 billion against analyst estimates of $1.08 billion. The strong performance reflects surging demand for GPU-based infrastructure needed to train and run large AI models. What you should know: CoreWeave operates exclusively in GPU-based cloud computing, providing access to Nvidia chips that are essential for AI development. The company currently operates 33 AI data centers across the United States and Europe, focusing solely on GPU infrastructure rather than traditional CPU-based cloud services. Revenue backlog reached $30.1 billion as of June 30, indicating strong...
read Aug 12, 2025Australia’s first sovereign AI data center launches in 2026 via Dell-Macquarie deal
Macquarie Data Centres, part of the Macquarie Technology Group, and Dell Technologies are partnering to establish Australia's first sovereign AI infrastructure facility, combining Dell's AI technology with locally-operated data center infrastructure. The initiative addresses growing concerns about Australia's lack of investment in domestic AI capabilities, which experts warn poses national security and economic risks in an increasingly competitive global AI landscape. What you should know: The Dell AI Factory with Nvidia will be hosted in Macquarie's purpose-built IC3 Super West data center, a 47MW facility designed specifically for high-power AI workloads. The facility is scheduled for completion in mid-2026 and...
read Aug 11, 2025On-premises GPU servers cost same as 6-9 months of cloud
A new analysis reveals that on-premises GPU servers cost roughly the same as six to nine months of equivalent cloud capacity, yet most AI executives remain unaware of this stark mathematical reality. This hidden cost structure means companies could save hundreds of thousands of dollars over three to five years by reconsidering their cloud-first AI infrastructure strategies. The big picture: While cloud computing promised flexible, pay-as-you-go scaling, AI workloads break these traditional assumptions in ways that make cloud economics misleading for sustained GPU-intensive operations. Key cost comparisons: The financial gap between cloud and on-premises becomes stark when examined closely. A...
read Aug 11, 2025AI model training could consume 4 gigawatts by 2030
AI model training could consume more than 4 gigawatts of power by 2030—enough to power entire cities—as energy demands for frontier AI development continue doubling annually, according to a new report from Epoch AI, a research institute investigating AI trajectory, and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), an independent nonprofit. This exponential growth in power consumption poses significant challenges for utility companies and could derail tech giants' climate commitments, even as companies explore distributed training and flexible power solutions to manage the unprecedented energy demands. What you should know: Recent AI training runs like Elon Musk's Grok AI already require...
read Aug 11, 2025Micron raises Q4 forecast to $11.2B on surging AI memory chip demand
Micron Technology raised its fourth-quarter revenue forecast to $11.2 billion and adjusted earnings per share to $2.85, surpassing previous estimates due to surging demand for AI memory chips. The semiconductor company's shares jumped 5% in premarket trading as investors responded to the stronger-than-expected guidance driven by increased orders from tech firms scaling their AI data center investments. What you should know: Micron significantly boosted its financial outlook for the quarter ending in August, reflecting the company's position in the AI infrastructure boom. Revenue forecast increased from $10.7 billion (plus or minus $300 million) to $11.2 billion (plus or minus $100...
read Aug 11, 2025Saudi Arabia deploys OpenAI’s open-source models in sovereign data centers
Saudi Arabia's AI venture Humain and chipmaker Groq have deployed OpenAI's new open-source models—gpt-oss-120B and gpt-oss-20B—within Saudi Arabia's sovereign data centers. This marks a significant step in Saudi Arabia's push for AI sovereignty, ensuring compliance with local data regulations while providing high-speed AI inference capabilities to enterprises, government institutions, and developers without requiring data to leave the Kingdom. What you should know: The deployment brings cutting-edge AI capabilities directly to Saudi infrastructure with impressive performance metrics.• The gpt-oss-120B model operates at over 500 tokens per second, while the smaller gpt-oss-20B delivers over 1,000 tokens per second on Groq's specialized hardware.•...
read Aug 8, 2025Qualcomm plans AI server chips for 2028 amid competitive challenges
Qualcomm has announced plans to develop server CPUs and full rack systems for AI inferencing clusters in hyperscale data centers, marking a significant expansion beyond its mobile chip dominance. The company is currently in "advanced discussions" with a leading hyperscaler about custom silicon, though revenue from this initiative won't begin until fiscal 2028—potentially giving competitors a substantial head start. What you should know: Qualcomm is positioning itself to capitalize on the shift toward ARM-based processors in cloud computing as AI workloads demand better efficiency metrics. CEO Cristiano Amon explained the company is developing "a general purpose CPU" specifically aimed at...
read Aug 8, 2025Deutsche Telekom plans AI data center with Nvidia for 2026 launch
Deutsche Telekom plans to begin construction of a large-scale AI data center in 2026, developed in partnership with Nvidia and investment firm Brookfield as part of what the companies describe as the world's first industrial AI cloud for European manufacturers. The facility represents a significant push into AI infrastructure by the German telecom giant, targeting the growing demand for specialized computing power among manufacturing companies across Germany and mainland Europe. What you should know: Deutsche Telekom is targeting a 2026 construction start for its AI "Gigafactory" using Nvidia's advanced chip technology. CEO Tim Höttges confirmed the timeline during an investor...
read Aug 7, 2025AI agents and AI-ready data hit peak hype, claims report
Gartner's 2025 Hype Cycle report identifies AI agents and AI-ready data as the most overhyped technologies currently at the "Peak of Inflated Expectations," warning that generative AI disillusionment is approaching. The research firm, which analyzes emerging technology trends, emphasizes that while these technologies show promise, they require precise strategic application rather than broad organizational deployment to deliver meaningful results. What you should know: Gartner named four main technologies dominating the AI landscape: agents, AI-ready data, multimodal AI, and AI trust, risk and security management (TRiSM). AI agents refer to increasingly autonomous systems that can carry out tasks for humans, though...
read Aug 7, 2025AI’s Fortress of Solitude: OpenAI picks Arctic Norway for $1B data center
OpenAI has chosen Narvik, Norway—a remote Arctic location—over traditional European tech hubs for its $1 billion Project Stargate data center, which will house 100,000 Nvidia GPUs by 2026. The surprising location choice prioritizes Norway's abundant hydropower and low electricity costs, positioning the facility to become one of Europe's largest AI infrastructure installations with 520MW capacity. What you should know: OpenAI partnered with AI infrastructure firm Nscale and Norwegian industrial company Aker to build what they're calling an "AI Gigafactory" in Northern Norway. The initial 20MW phase requires roughly $1 billion in investment, with plans to scale to 520MW capacity. The...
read Aug 7, 2025Brookfield commits $33B to European AI infrastructure buildout
Canadian investment giant Brookfield Asset Management is making a massive bet on the infrastructure gold rush powering artificial intelligence, committing over $33 billion to European AI projects as demand for specialized computing facilities explodes worldwide. The Toronto-based asset manager, which oversees more than $900 billion in assets across real estate, infrastructure, and renewable energy, announced a dedicated investment strategy targeting the complex web of physical infrastructure that AI systems require to function. This isn't just about building more data centers—it's about creating an entirely new category of industrial facilities designed specifically for AI's voracious appetite for computing power and energy....
read Aug 7, 2025Data center spending to hit $1.2T as AI reshapes infrastructure
The global data center industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by an artificial intelligence boom that's reshaping how companies think about computing infrastructure. New research reveals that worldwide data center capital expenditure will surge at a 21% compound annual growth rate through 2029, reaching $1.2 trillion in total investment over the next five years. This explosive growth represents far more than incremental technology upgrades. It signals a fundamental shift in how businesses process information, with artificial intelligence applications demanding entirely new categories of specialized computing hardware and infrastructure capabilities. The hyperscaler effect Hyperscalers—the massive cloud computing providers like Amazon Web...
read Aug 6, 2025AWS signs 80MW wind power deal to fuel $8.3B India expansion
Amazon Web Services has signed a long-term Power Purchase Agreement with Gentari, the clean energy subsidiary of Malaysian energy giant Petronas, for 80MW of wind energy in Tamil Nadu, India. The wind farm is expected to generate 300,000 MWh of clean electricity annually starting mid-2027, supporting AWS's ambitious goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 while powering the company's expanding $8.3 billion cloud infrastructure investment across India. What you should know: The wind farm is part of the broader Karur Wind Development zone, a major renewable energy hub in Tamil Nadu that hosts several large-scale projects. The region includes...
read Aug 5, 2025Super Micro shares plunge 15% as AI server, infrastructure demand cools
Super Micro Computer shares plunged 15% in extended trading Tuesday after the server maker reported fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that fell short of Wall Street expectations and issued disappointing guidance for the current quarter. The results underscore the company's slowing growth trajectory as the initial surge in AI infrastructure demand begins to normalize. Key financial results: Super Micro missed analyst expectations on both earnings and revenue for the fiscal fourth quarter ending June 30. Adjusted earnings per share came in at 41 cents versus the expected 44 cents. Revenue reached $5.76 billion, below the $5.89 billion consensus estimate. Revenue still...
read Aug 5, 2025Tesla co-founder uses recycled EV batteries to power AI data centers
JB Straubel, Tesla's co-founder and former chief technology officer, is pioneering a new approach to powering AI data centers using recycled electric vehicle batteries through his company Redwood Materials. This innovative solution addresses the skyrocketing energy demands of artificial intelligence infrastructure while extending the useful life of EV batteries that still retain significant storage capacity. What you should know: Straubel founded Redwood Materials in 2017 with the original mission of creating a closed-loop battery recycling system for electric vehicles. The company has now expanded its focus to repurpose used EV batteries for grid-scale energy storage applications. These "second-life" batteries still...
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