Microsoft is developing plans to build a $100 billion supercomputer, tentatively named “Stargate”. This project is designed to ensure the operation of the next generation of artificial intelligence systems from OpenAI.
It is believed that «Stargate» will be the fifth and final stage of the joint plan of Microsoft and OpenAI to build several supercomputers in the United States. Rumor has it that this computer will be one of the largest and most advanced data centers in the world. Its placement will require several hundred hectares of land and up to 5 gigawatts of energy. It is designed to play a key role in the training and operation of new, more advanced AI models that surpass ChatGPT-4. Launch of “Stargate” can happen as early as 2028.
The name "Stargate" refers to the iconic 1994 sci-fi film about an intergalactic teleportation device discovered in Egypt. This mysterious portal leads to a distant alien civilization, where the heroes Kurt Russell and James Spader have to free enslaved people from a powerful despot who pretended to be a god.
The choice of such an unusual name for a project to create a supercomputer with unprecedented power is probably a reference to the revolutionary nature of this development. Just like the fictional portal "Stargate" opened the way to unknown worlds, a new exaflop supercomputer will be able to push the boundaries of what is possible in the field of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
The creation of "Stargate" a lot depends on whether OpenAI can deliver its next big AI update, which is reportedly GPT-5 and is expected in early 2025. Microsoft hopes to see OpenAI continue to develop AI models that will continue to conquer the world.
Journalists note that OpenAI has not been able to release a new AI project called "Arrakis" in 2023 which could signal a slowdown in the company's innovation, in large part due to the limitations of current supercomputers.