Google needs to construct AI information facilities in house utilizing satellites

It’s been onerous to keep away from tech large Google’s AI ventures these days. You may discover all these new AI companies and options helpful, otherwise you may discover them annoying—however both manner, one factor is completely true: they run in information facilities that suck down big quantities of energy. And, apparently, the info facilities right here on Earth aren’t sufficient.

Yesterday, Google introduced Mission Suncatcher and its intention to discover the opportunity of working AI calculations in house. Mission Suncatcher will examine whether or not networks of solar-powered satellites outfitted with Tensor AI chips might function information facilities in house.

Within the weblog submit, Google mentions that there are a number of main challenges with the undertaking, together with that the satellites within the community might want to transfer in a a lot tighter formation than present satellite tv for pc networks, and that the Tensor chips may also want to deal with cosmic radiation whereas in orbit across the Earth.

Two prototype satellites shall be launched into orbit by early 2027, however Google says there’s nonetheless a protracted approach to go earlier than the Mission Suncatcher community can turn out to be operational.

Google expects that launch prices is not going to be low sufficient to make the satellite tv for pc community an economical different to information facilities on Earth for a very long time—a minimum of till the mid-2030s.

Additional studying: A minimum of one Starlink satellite tv for pc burns up daily