Can We Build a Five Gigawatt Data Center?
AI labs will need data centers that require the power equivalent of some of the US' largest cities by 2030. Forecasts predict that training runs will require 5-gigawatt centers within five years - GPT-4 was reportedly trained with 30 megawatts of power. While tech leaders seem confident that they will be able to build data centers of unprecedented size, these plans are still in the planning and permission stages and actual sites that can support these projects are scarce for several reasons. The US currently doesn't have the power, funding, or permitting required to meet the forecasted AI data center infrastructure demands, but it might be possible by 2030 through permitting reform and substantial investment.