Elon Musk announced the start of training for what he calls “the world’s most powerful AI training cluster” at a new supercomputer facility in Memphis, Tennessee. The billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of multiple tech companies shared on X (formerly Twitter) that the “Memphis Supercluster” began operations at around 4:20 am local time on Monday. Musk’s xAI team, working with X and Nvidia, launched the supercomputer cluster with 100,000 liquid-cooled GPUs.
This setup, according to Musk, gives xAI “a significant advantage in training the world’s most powerful AI by every metric by December this year.”
But skeptics question if these claims will match reality, especially given Musk’s history of making big, off-the-cuff remarks on social media. The startup of the massive AI training facility is a notable milestone for Memphis. Reports show that xAI’s investment is the largest capital investment by a new company in the city’s history.
But the project has raised concerns among local residents and officials about its impact on the area’s power grid and infrastructure. Doug McGowen, president of Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW), said that xAI could use up to 150 megawatts of power at peak times.
Training starts at Memphis facility
This substantial power requirement has led to talks with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) about the project’s electricity demands and connection to the power system. The TVA told the local news station, “TVA does not have a contract in place with xAI. We are working with xAI and our partners at MLGW on the details of the proposal and electricity demand needs.”
MLGW has said that xAI moved into an existing building with already established utility services, but the full extent of the company’s power usage and its potential effects on local utilities are still unclear.
To address community concerns, MLGW plans to host public forums in the coming days to provide more information about the project and its implications for the city. For now, Musk is adding to the power supply for the Memphis computer cluster by installing a fleet of 14 VoltaGrid natural gas generators. This temporary measure aims to provide extra power while xAI works out an agreement with the local power utility.
As training at the Memphis Supercluster gets underway, all eyes are on xAI and Musk’s ambitious goal of developing the world’s most powerful AI by the end of the year. Given the competitive landscape in AI, with companies like OpenAI/Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Anthropic, and Google in the mix, the potential success of Musk’s project is a topic of significant interest. If such an AI model does emerge from xAI, it will undoubtedly be a development worth following closely.
