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Video of the massive scale and speed of scaling re AI data centers and it is mind blowing

Posted on 9/5/25 at 4:49 am
Posted by Obtuse1
Westside Bodymore Yo
Member since Sep 2016
29876 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 4:49 am
OK this is a 30 min video but I think if you are remotely interested in AI data centers like the one Meta is planning to build in Richland Parish and aren't well versed in these specific types of data centers I think you will enjoy it. While the scale of these behemoths boggled my mind the speed of scaling is what really blew me away. The video is bookended by a story about a Meta datacenter being built in Temple TX. They started construction and about 9 months into the build they stopped, razed what they had built, and started completely over. The speed of planning and building can't keep up with the exponential growth of needs. Later in the video they showed Meta using tents to build AI datacenters because they can't build buildings fast enough. Every part of this video was asounding to me.



I will include the time stamps so if you are on the fence it gives an idea what is covered

quote:

0:00 Intro
1:52 Datacenter Origins
2:53 Datacenter Location
4:06 AI Datacenters
5:08 AI Datacenter - Connectivity
7:17 AI Datacenter – Compute & Rack Power
11:40 AI Datacenter – Air & Liquid Cooling
14:32 AI Datacenter – Critical IT Power
17:50 SemiAnalysis Datacenter Anatomy
18:58 Texas Datacenter Mystery
21:26 AI Hyperscalers, Gigawatt Megaclusters & Nuclear Power
26:09 Satellite Images & SemiAnalysis Datacenter Industry Model
28:24 The Future of AI Datacenters





This post was edited on 9/5/25 at 5:29 am
Posted by Bama and Beer
Baldwin Co, AL
Member since Oct 2010
84389 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 4:53 am to
Will save for later to watch.

Just finished it and that video shows me how little I know with all this.

This post was edited on 9/5/25 at 5:51 am
Posted by Odysseus32
Member since Dec 2009
9545 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 4:59 am to
I think living in a virtual world is not a matter of if. It's when. Meta is investing so much money and time into this. Everyone laughed at the metaverse, but I think that's where it goes. They aren't stupid, and I think in about 20 years we will all plug in for something just like even the most disconnected of folks have cell phones now. Whether it's meta or some other company, things are going to happen within this space. It's no wonder they need some much processing power.

I truly believe that eventually it will be like jumping into another real world. I think there will be haptics, it will be indistinguishable. The earth will exist for you to inhabit if you have the means, otherwise it's a vessel from which we extract power to live in our virtual worlds.

Of course that's abhorrent to many here, but it's not abhorrent to 10 year olds and they are the future. It's not even abhorrent to me, it just is what it is.

I can't see these companies investing so much time and money into this without knowing something we don't.
This post was edited on 9/5/25 at 5:00 am
Posted by Breesus
House of the Rising Sun
Member since Jan 2010
69358 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 5:16 am to
SnowCrash incoming

quote:

They aren't stupid, and I think in about 20 years we will all plug in for something just like even the most disconnected of folks have cell phones now


It’ll be interesting to see if there is a massive rise in parallel economies or if people who refuse to plug in are just abandoned, ostracized, and neglected. Especially the elderly and poor.
This post was edited on 9/5/25 at 5:19 am
Posted by Tiger in Gatorland
Moonshine Holler
Member since Sep 2006
9523 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 5:36 am to
Great video for a novice - thanks. At what point will they start needing to invest into their own power infrastructure apart from the transformers they already use.
Is it actually water cooled, or some other fluid with the capacity to dissipate heat more than water? Guess this bodes well for plumbers well into the future.
Posted by holdmuh keystonelite
Member since Oct 2020
3513 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 5:46 am to
.
This post was edited on 9/5/25 at 5:47 am
Posted by genuineLSUtiger
Nashville
Member since Sep 2005
76814 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 5:50 am to
quote:

I think in about 20 years we will all plug in for something just like even the most disconnected of folks have cell phones now. Whether it's meta or some other company, things are going to happen within this space. It's no wonder they need some much processing power.


I’m 57 and sincerely hope that I tap out before then.
Posted by theunknownknight
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2005
59942 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 5:53 am to
This is actually evidence of the fact that the current approach to large language model systems is starting to reach diminishing returns
This post was edited on 9/5/25 at 9:10 am
Posted by Obtuse1
Westside Bodymore Yo
Member since Sep 2016
29876 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 5:54 am to
quote:

At what point will they start needing to invest into their own power infrastructure apart from the transformers they already use.


If/when you watch the video you realize this isn't happening in some amorphous future, it is happening now. Starting 3 Mile Island back up, one company building 2 dedicated nuclear power plants, and others building gas fired plants on campus. There is another example that shows them currently using a field of huge portable diesel generators to run a data center. The need for be up and running outruns the speed of building generation, so it makes sense to operate them on such inefficient generation.

quote:

Is it actually water-cooled, or some other fluid with the capacity to dissipate heat more than water? Guess this bodes well for plumbers well into the future.


My understanding was just water but other coolants and refrigerants can't be far off. When you see the current scale of the cooling, you will realize it ain't plumbers you need it is boilermakers and pipefitters.
Posted by McLemore
Member since Dec 2003
34556 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 5:57 am to
quote:

It's not even abhorrent to me, it just is what it is.


Unreality has existed in some form since the advent of man (when he believed he should be God), and it should be abhorrent to us.
Posted by Galactic Inquisitor
An Incredibly Distant Star
Member since Dec 2013
18452 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 6:05 am to
This is going to end humanity as we know it, but nothing to worry about here
Posted by MikeD
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2004
8076 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 6:06 am to
quote:

My understanding was just water but other coolants and refrigerants can't be far off.


Water has such a high heat capacity and is ubiquitous, I don’t see it changing.
Posted by Bard
Definitely NOT an admin
Member since Oct 2008
57615 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 6:09 am to
Before the narrator appeared on the video I would have sworn he was asian just from his tone, diction and accent.
Posted by HarrisonTown
Member since Nov 2019
561 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 6:21 am to
Ideas on who I should invest in to make money off of this?
Posted by UtahCajun
Member since Jul 2021
2725 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 6:22 am to
We no longer approve, permit or build nuke power.

Natural gas is falling on the side of less than desired for "reasons".

Where are we going to get the power for all of this?
Posted by TheFonz
Somewhere in Louisiana
Member since Jul 2016
22678 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 6:35 am to
quote:

if people who refuse to plug in are just abandoned, ostracized, and neglected. Especially the elderly and poor.




If that means I can spend my golden years fishing in a creek or lake or hiking a trail all to myself, while the rest are virtual fishing and hiking, then that's a benefit to me.
Posted by VABuckeye
NOVA
Member since Dec 2007
38283 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 6:56 am to
Ths is the space I work in.

We do section 05.08. Connectivity (telecom) and also electronic security.

As to power, SMR's (small modular reactors) will be the future of data center power but there aer many hurdles to cross before that becomes commonplace.

Posted by SippyCup
Gulf Coast
Member since Sep 2008
6743 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 6:59 am to
Well then what happens when I’m in the middle of a virtual lap dance in the virtual strip club and some Hajji sets off an EMP?

Does my virtual woody go from midnight to six or does it get stuck in its virtual state?
Posted by N2cars
Close by
Member since Feb 2008
37866 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 7:05 am to
Man, your business has changed over the years, unless I have you confused with someone else.
Posted by VABuckeye
NOVA
Member since Dec 2007
38283 posts
Posted on 9/5/25 at 7:08 am to
Yep, that's me. We've adapted to the changes in data center builds over the years. It used to be all colocation and amanaged hosting and now they just build a big shell with all the infrastructure and let the hyperscalers come in and fit our the data halls.

There are still a few old school data centers out there like Coresite but the race now if for AI.
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