Also, move over Google—Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has just announced plans to build two new big data centers. This maneuver marks a huge leap for his company in pushing artificial intelligence. Their initial facility, called Prometheus, will be located in New Albany, Ohio. It is scheduled to start service in 2026. A second centre, Hyperion, will come next in Louisiana, expected to be operational by 2030.
These data centres will be pivotal in fuelling the surging AI technology demands. Prometheus will span an astounding 59.1 square kilometers (22.8 square miles). That’s almost the area of Manhattan! The massive size of these pipelines signals Zuckerberg’s determination to lay profound infrastructure for his company to lead the AI revolution.
Cooling the data centres will require approximately 1.7 trillion gallons of water worldwide by 2027. This mind-boggling number illustrates just how wasteful AI operations truly are. In reality, one AI query consumes more water than a 500 mL bottle! The environmental impact of such consumption opens up grave concerns surrounding sustainability in the technology sector.
So far, Zuckerberg’s company has cash cows as well, earning more than $160 billion in 2024 just in … you guessed it … online advertising. The stock is up over 20% this year — an indication of investor optimism about the company’s future prospects.
In a bold statement regarding his strategic vision, Zuckerberg remarked he plans to “invest hundreds of billions of dollars… to build superintelligence.” This commitment is a strong signal of his belief and vision in the transformative potential of these AI technologies.
Karl Freund, principal analyst at Cambrian AI Research, noted the long-term vision reflected in Zuckerberg’s strategy. He stated that “clearly, Zuckerberg intends to spend his way to the top of the AI heap.” Freund noted that the talent he’s bringing on will be working right next to some of the best AI hardware in the world. This significant investment in infrastructure will go a long way toward luring the world’s top experts in the field.
Together with Hyperion’s launch, these two efforts represent a deep commitment to investing in AI infrastructure. It further underscores a burgeoning effort by tech firms to strengthen their hands in this quickly developing space. As these data centres come online, they will likely play a pivotal role in advancing artificial intelligence technologies and applications.