OpenAI and Microsoft are considering immense $100 billion ‘Stargate’ supercomputer

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

OpenAI dreams of an immense supercomputer: Stargate. The Stargate system would bring together millions of accelerators in a system that is one or more data centers in size. The estimated cost of the mega project is around 100 billion dollars and Microsoft could possibly support the investment. The Information knows that.

Size of a data center (region)

The scale of Stargate is so immense that the supercomputer would be at least the size of a data center, and perhaps encompass multiple data centers analogous to a cloud region. If the plan goes ahead, Stargate should be completed in 2028.

We do not know any further technical details. It is 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 will probably also come from its own stable. Given the proposed format, OpenAI and Microsoft need hardware with a slightly more manageable price tag.

Ecology and economy

The plan is not very ecological. The system would consume five gigawatts of energy. If Microsoft wants to associate with it, it must find a location where such a surplus of green energy is available. Otherwise it risks undermining its own climate goals. The Register speculates loudly about a role for small modular nuclear reactors in energy needs.

Whether Stargate will ever actually come to fruition is anyone’s guess. The fact is that AI models are getting bigger and bigger. OpenAI’s mission is still to develop general AI and we are still a long way from that. To train these increasingly large models, an exponentially large amount of computing power is required. The large supercomputer fits into that picture. On the other hand, the investment is so large that you can safely question the economic picture.