Microsoft, in collaboration with OpenAI, is launching the “Stargate” project, an ambitious program to develop supercomputers dedicated to artificial intelligence. This project, aimed at accelerating advances in AI and reducing dependence on external suppliers, is expected to begin in 2026.
A colossal budget for more independence
The “Stargate” project is estimated at $100 billion and spread over several years and phases of development.
This colossal funding would aim to support the integration of OpenAI's GPT-4 into Microsoft services (Azure, Bing, Office, etc.) while reducing the company's dependence on players like Nvidia.
Project Capabilities and Utility
Microsoft's "Stargate" supercomputer, with its staggering budget of $100 billion, is designed to have an exceptional capacity of 5 gigawatts.
But what does 5 gigawatts mean exactly?
The 5 gigawatts refers to the maximum power consumption of the “Stargate” supercomputer. To give you an idea, a gigawatt (GW) is the equivalent of a billion watts. Simply put, the 5 gigawatt capacity means the supercomputer can consume up to 5 billion watts of electrical energy. Usually this measurement is taken into account per hour, so 5 gigawatts could be the power consumption per hour at full capacity.
It will use millions of specialized server chips, potentially making unprecedented computational performance possible.
This extraordinary computing capacity would enable detailed climate simulations, advanced medical research, and the development of autonomous technologies, surpassing what current systems can accomplish.
Environmental issues
With its consumption of up to 5 gigawatts of energy, the project could pose its share of challenges in terms of producing carbon-free energy to power the entire system.
Regulatory concerns
Regarding regulatory concerns, Microsoft's funding of OpenAI has attracted the attention of the European Commission.
The latter launched an investigation to determine whether this financial support could give Microsoft an unfair competitive advantage.
This situation places the “Stargate” project in a complex regulatory context, with the application of the DMA still unstable to this day.