GoKawiil
Tech News
Facing multi-year waits for grid connections and new turbines, some AI data center operators are installing retrofitted jet engines that burn natural gas to generate their own power, according to the New York Times. xAI has installed eight such units from ProEnergy in Mississippi to help power its Colossus 2 facility, and OpenAI-linked developer Crusoe has ordered 13 more for the Stargate site in Abilene, Texas.
Companies that converted bitcoin-mining operations into AI data centers are discovering that the new business carries its own instability, rather than offering a calmer alternative to crypto mining. The shift, driven by hopes of steadier returns from leasing computing power to AI firms, has not shielded these operators from market and operational turbulence.
Ukrainian drone strikes have damaged Russian data centers belonging to Yandex, Sberbank, VKontakte and the Ministry of Finance, prompting Russian firms to explore underground facilities. State telecom Rostelcom is in talks with mining company Norilsk about relocating centers below ground, and a regional governor has proposed building them in open-pit coal mines disguised with parks above. Putin also signed a decree on November 2 requiring operators to reserve 10 percent of capacity for emergency state use, and authorized potential reliance on foreign data centers.
xAI is powering a Mississippi data center using eight repurposed General Electric jet turbines converted by ProEnergy, each capable of producing up to 50 megawatts. State permits allow a 25% higher limit on volatile organic compound emissions, and the Southern Environmental Law Center has challenged the approval, arguing xAI hasn't shown the turbines meet standards for pollutants like formaldehyde and has undercounted projected emissions.
According to Axios, OpenAI is preparing a policy and public-relations campaign that will refer to data centers as 'AI compute campuses,' launching after the US midterm elections. OpenAI chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane told Axios the company wants to shape public perception through messaging, emphasizing claims that such facilities bring jobs and benefits to host communities.
Apple reported record quarterly results, but new CEO John Ternus faced criticism for his handling of his first earnings call, with commentators from Bloomberg and Fortune describing his remarks as rehearsed and cautious. Ternus shared the call with CFO Kevan Parekh and COO Sabih Khan, a departure from Apple's recent practice of having the CEO field most questions. Apple shares slipped in pre-market trading after the company flagged rising memory costs and expenses tied to building Siri AI data centers.
In an interview, New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said he would push one of the most comprehensive school AI moratoriums in the US, barring generative AI use for students from kindergarten through eighth grade. He compared the current hype around AI to the 2008 housing bubble and said he does not trust AI industry leaders like Sam Altman to self-regulate.
The 2026 midterm elections, which will shape the final two years of Donald Trump's presidency, are expected to center largely on affordability but also include several technology-related topics on voters' minds. These include rising energy costs tied to data centers, AI safety, expansion of surveillance tools like Flock, and a California ballot measure to tax billionaire wealth that has prompted heavy tech industry spending and new stock structures.
OpenAI launched a 'Grid Protectors Program' on Monday, starting with a site in Effingham County, Georgia, aimed at easing concerns about AI infrastructure straining local power grids during extreme weather. In the roughly 900-word announcement, OpenAI used the term 'compute campus' far more often than 'data center,' a phrase not previously found on its website. The company pledged to 'pay the costs we create' and help communities 'keep the lights on.'
A wave of local and state ballot proposals is emerging across the United States addressing the rapid growth of AI data centers, with some measures designed to streamline approval of new facilities and others aimed at blocking them outright. The split reflects growing political division over how communities should respond to the infrastructure demands of the AI boom.
OpenAI is said to be weighing a rebrand of its data center facilities, referring to them instead as 'AI compute campuses.' The change would apply to the large-scale infrastructure sites the company is building to support its AI models.
OpenAI is reportedly considering renaming its data centers to 'AI Compute Campuses' as part of a broader public relations push ahead of the November 3 midterms, according to Axios. Chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane said the effort is tied to shaping AI debate before the 2028 presidential election, and a company spokesperson said the new term better reflects the infrastructure's role in computing, energy and jobs.