Title: TheModest Workforce of OpenAI's Monumental $100 Billion Stargate Data Center in Texas
Introducing Stargate, a data center project introduced this week with plans to power AI systems for OpenAI. The project, a collaboration with Oracle and SoftBank, aims to employ at least 57 full-time employees earning an average wage of $57,600 annually. Stargate's ambitions don't stop at this, as it intends to raise $500 billion over the next four years to open more data centers beyond Abilene, Texas.
Reports suggest that data centers don't typically employ many people directly once construction is complete. President Trump announced Stargate's potential to create "over 100,000 American jobs," but critics argue that this figure is nebulous, dating back to the app development industry. Regardless, other tech companies like Apple have used indirect employment numbers to justify fees charged to app developers.
Examining the number of permanent workers employed by other data centers in Texas, Bloomberg found that Microsoft employs only 325 people across all its data centers in the state, with tens of thousands during construction. Tech companies often use these job creation numbers to secure tax breaks. In Abilene, Stargate has been granted an 85% discount on property taxes for two decades of its operations.
However, concerns about data centers' energy consumption and impact on fragile power grids are surging. Some communities in the U.S. have voiced concerns about the visual blight of massive data centers, while President Trump has pledged to expedite the construction of power plants co-located with data centers, even those using coal.
The tech industry, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman leading the charge, has backed the Republican White House in a pledge to beat China in the race to AI dominance. Tech leaders argue that China's dominance in artificial intelligence poses a threat to U.S. national security. Yet, the self-interest of these tech CEOs in making such statements should not be overlooked.
As for Stargate, the project expects to create at least 57 full-time jobs with an average wage of $57,600 annually, but its broader impact on indirect employment is expected to be significant through construction and related activities.
The tech industry, recognizing the importance of technology and artificial intelligence in the future, is actively investing in projects like Stargate to maintain its global competitiveness. With the integration of artificial intelligence systems powered by Stargate, the project aims to revolutionize the field of artificial intelligence.