Elon Musk's AI startup, xAI, intends to significantly expand its Memphis, Tennessee-based supercomputer, Colossus, increasing its capacity to over one million GPUs, according to a statement from the Greater Memphis Chamber on Dec 4. This expansion is part of xAI's effort to compete with industry leaders like OpenAI.
Currently equipped with 100,000 GPUs, Colossus powers xAI's chatbot, Grok. The planned expansion involves collaboration with Nvidia, the GPU supplier, and companies like Dell and Super Micro, which assemble server racks. These partners are set to establish operations in Memphis as part of the project.
Colossus is central to Musk's push to advance his AI ambitions and intensify competition with OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. Musk recently broadened a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing it and Microsoft of attempting to monopolize the AI industry.
The tenfold expansion of Colossus is likely to spark environmental debates, given concerns about the energy consumption of data centers. In August, the Southern Environmental Law Center urged Tennessee officials to investigate whether xAI was operating gas turbines for power without proper air permits.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters