AI Infrastructure AI News & Updates

SoftBank Acquires Chip Designer Ampere Computing for $6.5 Billion

SoftBank Group is acquiring Ampere Computing, a semiconductor designer specializing in ARM-based server chips, for $6.5 billion in an all-cash deal. This acquisition follows SoftBank's series of AI-focused investments, including partnerships with OpenAI and investments in AI infrastructure, as part of its strategy to support artificial superintelligence development.

OpenAI Secures $11.9 Billion Computing Deal with CoreWeave

OpenAI has signed a five-year, $11.9 billion contract with cloud provider CoreWeave to secure AI computing resources, while also acquiring a $350 million equity stake in the company. This significant investment comes as CoreWeave prepares for an IPO and maintains deep connections with Microsoft, potentially reshaping the dynamics in the AI cloud computing sector.

xAI Expands AI Infrastructure with Massive Memphis Property Acquisition

Elon Musk's AI company xAI has acquired a 1 million-square-foot property in Memphis to expand its AI data center operations, complementing its existing facility. The company plans to upgrade its primary Memphis facility to 1 million Nvidia GPUs this year, up from 100,000, while also expanding with another data center in Atlanta containing $700 million in hardware.

OpenAI Faces GPU Shortage for GPT-4.5 Rollout

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed that the company is facing GPU shortages that are forcing a staggered rollout of its new GPT-4.5 model. The massive and expensive model, which is being priced at $75 per million input tokens and $150 per million output tokens, will initially be available to ChatGPT Pro subscribers before expanding to Plus customers.

Microsoft Reduces Data Center Footprint Amid Industry Expansion

Microsoft has canceled leases totaling approximately two data centers' worth of capacity with multiple providers. This contraction stands in contrast to significant industry expansion, including the $500 billion Stargate project by OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, and raises questions about Microsoft's expectations for future AI demand.

xAI's Supercomputer Operations Raise Environmental and Health Concerns

Elon Musk's xAI has applied for permits to continue operating 15 gas turbines powering its "Colossus" supercomputer in Memphis through 2030, despite emissions exceeding EPA hazardous air pollutant limits. The turbines, which have been running since summer 2024 reportedly without proper oversight, emit formaldehyde and other pollutants affecting approximately 22,000 nearby residents.

Amazon Plans $100 Billion AI Investment in 2025 as Big Tech Accelerates Spending

Amazon has announced plans to spend over $100 billion on capital expenditures in 2025, with the vast majority dedicated to AI capabilities for its AWS cloud division. This represents a significant increase from Amazon's $78 billion capex in 2024, and aligns with similar massive AI investments announced by other tech giants including Meta, Alphabet, and Microsoft, who are collectively planning to spend hundreds of billions on AI infrastructure.

India to Host Chinese DeepSeek AI Models on Local Servers Despite Historical Tech Restrictions

India's IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced plans to host Chinese AI lab DeepSeek's models on domestic servers, marking a rare allowance for Chinese technology in a country that has banned over 300 Chinese apps since 2020. The arrangement appears contingent on data localization, with DeepSeek's models to be hosted on India's new AI Compute Facility equipped with nearly 19,000 GPUs.