Bottom line: The strategic rationale behind AMD acquiring ZT makes sense, to a point, but $5 billion is a lot to pay, especially when the true value of the transaction relies heavily on the price AMD will get when they spin off ZT's manufacturing unit.
A thirsty potato: According to private records obtained by the Financial Times through freedom of information requests, data center facilities in Virginia have experienced a significant increase in water consumption in recent years. The rise of generative AI could exacerbate this issue, potentially contributing to an environmental disaster in the making.
In a nutshell: Iceland meets most of its energy needs through various forms of domestically produced renewable energy. According to three companies developing a new data center service, the Nordic island nation could also be the ideal environment for mission-critical cloud applications.
Navigating the heavy freight of AI data processing
Editor's take: Investors usually hate airlines – they're capital-intensive, have high operating expenses, limited suppliers, and no way to differentiate with customers. How are AI factories any different?
Forward-looking: Data centers, the crux of all things digital, are also enormous energy and water hogs. While the industry has been putting in place more sustainable operating practices, they don't touch the eco-friendly benefits offered by another idea: data centers that operate in space. A new European study has found that not only is this concept technically feasible, but it could also eventually deliver a significant return on investment.