Anthropic and OpenAI hunt for smaller data center deals, sources tell CNBC, in race to deploy AI capacity
Anthropic and OpenAI have announced a flurry of AI infrastructure deals over the past year as demand booms.
TL;DR
- Anthropic and OpenAI are exploring smaller AI data center deals (20-30 MW) in addition to their previous large-scale acquisitions.
- This move aims to increase the speed of deploying AI workloads.
- Smaller capacity deals offer faster access to usable compute capacity compared to long waits for large facilities.
- The shift is partly due to the increasing demand for inference, which can utilize smaller clusters of chips.
- Inference workloads are projected to overtake training workloads in data center capacity usage by 2027.
- Companies like Crusoe are also investing in smaller data centers, citing speed and cost advantages over larger builds.