OpenAI unveils plans for seemingly limitless expansion of computing power

OpenAl laid out its vision for a vast, $I trillion build-out of computing — warehouses across the U.S. and abroad Tuesday, showcasing the development of a Central Park-sized complex about 180 miles west of Dallas.

- Berber Jin

A day after the startup announced a $100 billion deal with Nvidia that helped silence naysayers about its finances, OpenAlI disclosed that it would ultimately need more than 13 times the computing power of its first nascent site, which is rising out of the Texas brushland.

Frenzied construction here has turned a sea of red dirt into eight hyper-futuristic data centers bringing online roughly 900 megawatts of capacity. More than 6,000 workers labor on the project each day, including electricians, plumbers, and steel welders, alternating between two 10-hour shifts, seven days a week. Grey towers of gas turbines have dotted the landscape since the spring, offering backup power.

On a tour with reporters Tuesday, Oracle and OpenAl executives showcased the 1,100-acre site, calling it the largest AI supercomputing complex in the world. Outside, workers wearing dust masks and sunglasses shuttled around in buggies, trying to shield themselves from the 100-degree heat. One of the buggies flew a flag that said “Jesus Is the Answer.”

“There was literally nothing here a year ago,” said Anuj Saharan, who works on the OpenAl computing team.

Openal also announced five new data-center sites across the U.S. built with Oracle and the Japanese tech conglomerate SoftBank. It said the new facilities would help bring online nearly 7 gigawatts of power, enough for almost eight million homes.