Supermicro CEO Charles Liang announced plans to set up local operations in Memphis, Tennessee, to support Elon Musk’s ambitious goal of scaling his xAI supercomputer to one million GPUs. The move will enable Supermicro to deliver its products and services more efficiently, benefiting xAI’s massive 10-fold expansion of the Colossus supercomputer.
The establishment of local operations will also bring significant investments to Memphis and the surrounding area, potentially creating thousands of new jobs directly and indirectly. However, concerns have been raised about the strain on the local electricity supply grid, with estimates suggesting that Musk’s AI facility would require over 1.5GW of power if additional corporations like Supermicro set up shop locally.
The massive demand for energy has sparked discussions about nuclear power investments among tech companies, including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle. While Elon Musk hasn’t made any plans to invest in nuclear power just yet, the move could bring new jobs and investments to Memphis and Tennessee, despite potential concerns about its impact on the local community.
Supermicro’s involvement in supporting xAI’s Colossus supercomputer will also benefit from the company’s expertise in building datacenter building blocks (DCBBS) and ambient cooling solutions. As xAI continues to expand its operations, Supermicro’s local presence will play a crucial role in meeting the demands of Musk’s ambitious project.
Source: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/supermicro-to-help-musk-scale-xai-supercomputer-to-a-million-gpus-supermicro-will-set-up-local-operations-in-memphis-to-facilitate-operations