Microsoft is reportedly working on a project, tentatively named “Stargate,” which involves constructing a $100 billion supercomputer aimed at enhancing OpenAI’s AI technology, sources told The Information. This ambitious effort, expected to be completed possibly by 2028, is a crucial step for developing more sophisticated AI models beyond ChatGPT-4. Spanning several hundred acres and requiring up to 5 gigawatts of power, Stargate represents the pinnacle of a collaboration between Microsoft and OpenAI, focusing on several supercomputers across the U.S. This development hinges on OpenAI’s delivery of its anticipated AI upgrade, potentially GPT-5, by early 2025.

The project raises significant environmental and ethical questions regarding resource consumption and labor practices, however, as the environmental impact of its operation and the societal implications of prioritizing such vast investments in AI technology.

Questions about the amount of resources needed for cooling, the energy source for power, the conditions of maintenance staff, and the material costs of production highlight broader concerns about the sustainability and ethics of pursuing such grand technological advancements. Despite Microsoft’s significant investment, the broader implications for labor markets and societal norms underscore the complex trade-offs of advancing AI at this scale.