In this edition of the Silicon Brief, we delve into the latest developments in AI chips and data centers. Google has successfully persuaded OpenAI to utilize its TPU chips, marking a significant collaboration in the AI hardware space. Meanwhile, Siemens has introduced a new AI-enhanced EDA toolset, aiming to streamline electronic design automation processes.
On the data center front, Fermi America is set to develop an AI 'Hypergrid' campus in Texas, while Amazon is constructing AI data centers for Anthropic in Indiana. Additionally, Meta is seeking $29 billion to expand its AI data center capabilities, reflecting the growing demand for AI infrastructure. Stay tuned as we explore these stories and more in this edition.
Energy & Sustainability
Three Mile Island nuclear plant's reopening has been accelerated with a new target completion year of 2027. Univers and Microsoft have partnered to enhance energy efficiency in data centers by integrating Univers' EnOS™ Ark platform with Microsoft's services. Additionally, ADNOC, Microsoft, and Masdar are collaborating to develop renewable energy solutions for AI data centers to meet increasing electricity demands.
EFFECT Photonics has secured $24 million in Series D funding to enhance its coherent optical solutions for data centers and edge networks, responding to increased market demand. Meanwhile, Wiwynn Corp. plans to invest $300 million in its first assembly plant in Texas to avoid U.S. tariffs and boost domestic capacity. The company supplies major U.S. tech firms and currently operates plants in Taiwan, Mexico, and Malaysia.
Fermi America is set to develop a 5,800-acre 'Hypergrid' campus in Texas, while Amazon constructs AI data centers for Anthropic in Indiana. Meta Platforms seeks $29 billion for U.S. AI data centers, and the Puglia Data Center Valley in Italy plans to become Europe's largest AI hub. Cielo Digital Infrastructure invests $2.1 billion in South Carolina, and the US Department of Energy partners with Dell and NVIDIA for a new supercomputer. The Dutch government funds an AI plant in Groningen, Google acquires land in France for AI development, and Alibaba Cloud expands AI services globally.
Siemens has launched a new AI-enhanced toolset for electronic design automation, integrating generative and agentic AI to boost productivity and speed up semiconductor and PCB design processes. Meanwhile, Google has successfully persuaded OpenAI to adopt its TPU chips, marking a competitive edge over Nvidia in the AI hardware sector.