Data Center: Meta's big bet! A $1.5 billion gigawatt-scale AI data center will be built in Texas..

Social media giant Meta has announced plans to build a gigawatt-scale data center in Texas, USA, to accelerate its AI projects. The company will spend approximately $1.5 billion (approximately ₹12,500 crore) on this project. The center will be built in El Paso and will be Meta's 29th data center.

Meta says the El Paso data center has been designed to support existing traditional servers as well as future AI-enabled technologies. This means the data center will be ready to handle the company's next generation of AI models and systems.

Both employment and investment will increase
This new project will employ approximately 1,800 construction workers and create approximately 100 permanent operational jobs. Meta has invested over $10 billion in three data centers in Texas to date, employing over 2,500 people.

Meta has announced that this new data center will be powered by 100% renewable energy. The company has also promised to return 200% of the water used at the center to local water sources.

Why was El Paso chosen?
Meta stated that El Paso's strong infrastructure and skilled workforce were key factors in selecting this location. The company hopes this center will energize its AI ecosystem. Over the past few years, Meta has rapidly increased its investment in the AI sector. The company is competing with companies like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. Recently, Meta established Superintelligence Labs and appointed Alexander Wang, former CEO of Scale AI, as its head.

Meta has set a capital expenditure target of $72 billion for 2025. CEO Mark Zuckerberg says that "the risk of underinvesting in AI is far greater than overinvesting," so the company is pursuing an aggressive strategy in this area.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Amar Ujala. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.