News reporting focused on AI and machine learning, covering the companies behind these technologies, their real-world applications, and the ethical concerns they raise. This includes areas like generative AI (large language models, text-to-image and video), speech tech, and predictive analytics.
A New York Times/Siena University poll of 1,503 likely voters found that 61% oppose AI data center construction, while only 14% strongly support it. Opposition is strongest among 2024 Harris voters and non-voters, though Trump voters were nearly split. Despite the unpopularity, AI and data centers ranked low as a voting priority, and neither party holds a clear advantage on the issue.
Nvidia and six major financial firms announced plans to raise over $500 billion for AI data centers, aiming to create a new investable asset class. However, the deal is based on memorandums of understanding, not contracts, and hinges on contractual terms regarding hardware depreciation and residual value. Investors will independently assess each project, with Nvidia offering limited residual-value support.
Global AI, a U.S. builder of single-tenant, air-gapped data centers, has closed its first debt raise of $441 million in a senior secured credit facility led by J.P. Morgan. The financing will expand its sovereign AI data center capacity, which the company says is in exceptional demand. With $6.2 billion in contracted revenues and a target of 1 gigawatt by 2029, Global AI is scaling rapidly to meet demand from nations and enterprises seeking dedicated AI infrastructure.
NEC will test a parking system that starts charging only after drivers exit their cars, using cameras and AI to detect departure. The trial aims to reduce unfair charges and improve safety. Other tech news includes Fujifilm's printer spin-off, Envision's massive AI datacenter, submarine cable faults, Infosys-Crocs modernization, and Kmart's smart glasses privacy debate.
SoftBank donated $50 million to a Trump presidential library foundation in January, two months before its subsidiary announced a federal land lease for a massive AI data center in Ohio. Democratic lawmakers have questioned whether the donation and lease deal are connected, raising bribery concerns. SoftBank defended the donation but did not address the timing.
SpaceX will remove unpermitted gas turbines powering its xAI data centers near Memphis, but not until July 2027. The company is transitioning to a permanent 1.2 GW natural gas plant, which will take years to build. Lawsuits from the NAACP and Southern Environmental Law Center continue, while the DOJ has sided with SpaceX on national security grounds.
The massive energy demands of artificial intelligence are driving a nuclear power renaissance in the United States. Tech giants including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta have committed billions of dollars to finance nuclear projects, securing nearly 10 gigawatts of capacity. Microsoft alone is investing $16 billion to restart a reactor at Three Mile Island, which will power its AI data centers. This shift marks the first time in decades that nuclear power has become financially viable again, with Big Tech effectively becoming power companies.
A fallen power line near Washington, DC caused over 3 gigawatts of data center load to vanish from the PJM grid in seconds, spiking voltage across the region. The event, which made lights flicker from Northern Virginia to Chicago, highlights a growing problem as AI data centers become larger and more concentrated. Experts warn that without better coordination or technology like ON.Energy's battery-backed uninterruptible power supply, such disruptions will become more frequent and severe.
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Nvidia is promoting its new Vera Rubin chip system, which combines CPUs and GPUs into a single platform. The company is positioning itself as a supplier of complete AI systems, not just GPUs. New benchmarks show significant performance and efficiency gains, with early customer OpenAI already using a rack.
SoftBank has announced plans to build AI data centers in France with a total capacity of 5 gigawatts, representing an investment worth up to 75 billion euros. The first phase includes 45 billion euros for 3.1 gigawatts in the Hauts-de-France region, with sites in Dunkirk, Bosquel, and Bouchain targeted by 2031. The project, unveiled at President Macron's Choose France summit, is SoftBank's largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe.
A shortage of memory chips, driven by soaring demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI data centers, is forcing consumer electronics prices higher. HBM consumes three times the wafer capacity of standard memory, and its allocation is set to jump from 2% to 20% by 2026. The shift is already hitting sub-$100 smartphones hardest.
Wirestock announced a $23 million Series A funding round to expand its data supply business for AI labs. The company, which pivoted from stock photography distribution, now provides images, videos, design assets, gaming, and 3D content from over 700,000 artists. It serves six major foundation model makers with $40 million annual run-rate revenue.