Learn how AI data centers work
6 short lessons for beginners: how an AI data center gets its power, keeps cool, why it takes years to build, what an AI answer costs, and data centers in space. The interactive versions have diagrams to play with and a question at the end.
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Lesson 01
What is an AI data center?
One chip, then a rack, a hall, a building and the grid connection behind it.
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Lesson 02
Where does the power go?
Why a building with 10 MW of chips asks the grid for more than 10 MW.
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Lesson 03
From the grid to the chip
Trace power from the substation to a GPU, then cut it and watch the backup.
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Lesson 04
Why it takes years to build
Some equipment takes longer to arrive than the building takes to build.
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Lesson 05
What does an AI answer cost?
What it costs in electricity to produce a million tokens.
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Lesson 06
Data centers in space
Constant sunlight and no water bills, against radiation and heat with nowhere to go.