Sky may not be limit for AI data centres

If the architects of the artificial intelligence boom are right, it is only a matter of time before data centres — the giant computing facilities that power AI — will float in orbit and be visible in the night sky like planets.

- ELI TAN RYAN MAC

The science-fiction-like dream is being driven by AI and space industry leaders who are growing increasingly worried that data centres will eventually require more energy and land than are available on Earth. So one solution — perhaps the only solution, they say — is to start building them in space.

Google announced in November that it was working on Project Suncatcher, a space data centre project that would begin test launches in 2027. Elon Musk said at a recent conference that space data centres would be the cheapest way to train AI “not more than five years from now.” Others pledging support for the idea include Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and Blue Origin; Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAl; and Jensen Huang, the chief executive of Nvidia.

“It is not a debate — it is going to happen,” said Philip Johnston, the chief executive of Starcloud, a space data centre startup. “The question is when.”

The notion has gained traction as the Al race hits a fever pitch, fuelling fears of a potential bubble. Meta, OpenAl, Microsoft, Amazon and other big tech companies are investing hundreds of billions in data centres worldwide, with OpenAl alone committing $1.4 trillion to such projects. Saudi Arabia and other nations are also pouring money into these efforts, while smaller companies pile up debt and take on financial risks to join the frenzy.