Why tech companies are racing to put AI data centers in space

[u/Logical_Welder3467]

https://www.fastcompany.com/91617037/why-tech-companies-are-racing-to-put-ai-data-centers-in-space

[u/thatfreshjive]

Because this bubble and the capital market is completely untethered from reality, so why not promise you're gonna build data centers in space?

The money will believe anything, clearly.

[u/ottwebdev]

Because it is outside any legal system, thats why

[u/nostra77 → u/ottwebdev]

lol when Russia and USA snipe your satellite with missle

[u/mediandude → u/ottwebdev]

Except it isn't.
Ships always have a country.

[u/Overall_Koala_8710]

The real answer is that they're looking for anything to tether their ridiculous astronomical valuations to. It has nothing to do with power and cooling, which will always be more expensive in space.

[u/Phalex]

Why? The article mentions launch costs, cooling and power but not radiation

[u/lethalized → u/Phalex]

Wont bit flipping also be a problem?

[u/aquarain → u/lethalized]

The proposed orbits 600km are below the van allen belts that trap cosmic and solar radiation. It will be a little more than the ground but not that much.

[u/Ky1arStern]

Putting a data center in space continues to be the weather vane for how fake the AI valuation is.

If you had really invented something worth a trillion dollars, you would not need to try and sell such a stupid idea to rubes.

Putting a data center in space is like putting a grocery store at the bottom of the ocean.

[u/kirkcobained]

Can't wait for a failed raid configuration in space. Gotta send someone up to swap a drive.

[u/stacecom → u/kirkcobained]

They'll have enough hot spares and robots for a period. It's longer term I'm skeptical about.

[u/itsRobbie_]

A few months ago we were saying space data centers wouldn’t work very well. Has something changed? Or is it just grifting because muskrat made that render of a data center satellite back then?

Edit- ok nothing has changed and it’s still just tests

[u/Caraes_Naur]

No government has jurisdiction in space.

[u/marsinfurs → u/Caraes_Naur]

I’m going to steal the data center

[u/Xaqx]

Disingenuous feedback loops between capitalism, social media and stock markets have encourage avant-garde bets.

[u/SlippySausageSlapper]

Because once they establish an infrastructure in orbit the government and the masses can’t just storm the building.

[u/briggsbw]

What about protecting from vigilantes when the real job losses start?

[u/aquarain]

In space noone can hear you dream.

[u/Caraes_Naur → u/aquarain]

* Hallucinate

[u/57696c6c]

Because there is a lot space, duh.

[u/SomeSamples]

I know Musk wants a "data center" to house the computing he wants to "manage" his Starlink satellites. As far as a data center to house AI or large compute loads. Putting them in space is about the dumbest idea around.

[u/Small_Dog_8699]

So we cant burn them down

[u/I_am_le_tired → u/Small_Dog_8699]

That's the real answer. Also saves costs in land acquisition, transformation, and private security

[u/lethalized]

Sensors have been going into space for a while now. 

Data centers will stay on the ground computing what the sensors are reading.

[u/stratocaster307 → u/lethalized]

What sensors? And what do they have to do with AI data centers?

[u/simsimulation]

Because satellites need computing power in space.