Microsoft is considering whether to invest in a giant supercomputer for OpenAI. The project, codenamed Stargate, would be the size of a data center and cost at least $100 billion.

OpenAI dreams of a giant supercomputer: Stargate. The Stargate system would combine millions of accelerators into a system the size of one or more data centers. The estimated cost of the megaproject is around $100 billion and Microsoft could potentially support the investment. The information knows this.

Size of a data center (region)

The scale of Stargate is such that the supercomputer would be at least the size of a data center and potentially span multiple data centers, analogous to a cloud region. If the plan is implemented, Stargate is expected to be completed in 2028.

We do not know any further technical details. It’s unlikely that OpenAI and Microsoft will turn to Nvidia for a project of this scale. Microsoft is probably looking for its own Ethernet alternative to Nvidia’s InfiniBand and the accelerators are also likely to come from its own stable. Given the proposed format, OpenAI and Microsoft require hardware at a slightly more manageable price.

Ecology and economy

The plan is not very ecological. The plant would consume five gigawatts of energy. If Microsoft wants to connect to this, it will have to find a location where such a surplus of green energy is available. Otherwise there is a risk that our own climate goals will be undermined. The Register speculates loudly about the role of small modular nuclear reactors in energy demand.

It is unclear whether Stargate will ever become a reality. The fact is that AI models are getting bigger. OpenAI’s mission is still to develop general AI, and we are still a long way from that. Training these ever-larger models requires an exponentially large amount of computing power. The large supercomputer fits into this picture. On the other hand, the investment is so large that one can safely question the economic picture.