OpenAI to lease massive 4.5GW computing infrastructure from Oracle

OpenAI has agreed to rent an unprecedented 4.5 gigawatts of computing capacity from Oracle to accelerate development of advanced artificial intelligence products, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

To meet demand, Oracle plans to partner with infrastructure providers to build additional data centers across the US, with the project forming part of the Stargate initiative – a US$500 billion (HK$3.9 trillion) AI infrastructure plan announced earlier this year in coordination with the White House, according to Bloomberg.

One gigawatt of power is roughly equivalent to the output of a nuclear reactor and can supply electricity to about 750,000 US homes, which means the 4.5-gigawatt capacity could power millions of households.

The report said Oracle is planning to expand the capacity of its Abilene, Texas data center from 1.2GW to around 2GW and is considering additional sites in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. OpenAI is also exploring locations in New Mexico, Georgia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, according to the newspaper, citing sources.

Oracle shares jumped 5 percent on Wednesday, closing at US$229.98.

STAFF REPORTER