January 29, 2024 Meta is set to construct an $800 million data center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, specifically optimized for artificial intelligence services. This initiative represents a significant step by Facebook’s parent company to establish a stronger presence in the AI technology sector. The Jeffersonville facility will be equipped with advanced hardware, including liquid-cooling systems, to meet the intensive computing demands of AI.
While Meta has already modified many of its existing data centers to support AI products, this new site in Jeffersonville will be designed from the ground up with AI optimization in mind. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, has increasingly focused on AI in recent years, aiming to position the company competitively alongside tech giants like Google and Microsoft.
Zuckerberg is increasingly focused on the goal of making Meta the world’s leading AI company. He has hinted at making Meta’s Llama AI model open source as one way of disrupting the AI leadership currenly claimed by OpenAI and Google.
On the hardware front, Meta has reportedly acquired more than 340,000 of Nvidia’s highly sought-after H100 chips despite much industry criticism. He hasn’t revealed how many of each specific type of GPU the company has, but Meta’s is expected to have 600,000 by the end of 2024.
The commitment to an AI focused data centre adds another step to Meta’s aggressive stance.
Scheduled to be operational by 2026, this data center will be Meta’s 22nd globally. It is expected to create approximately 100 operational jobs once functional. The location in Jeffersonville, situated just across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky, was chosen as part of an agreement with Indiana, granting Meta sales tax exemptions in the state for the next 35 years.
Sources include: Data Center Knowledge
