$100 Billion Microsoft Stargate AI supercomputer will re-write the future
When it comes to thinking big, especially when it comes to HPC and AI, this is the biggest announcement ever.
Key takeaways
- Stargate is reportedly the fifth and final phase of Microsoft and OpenAI’s plan to build several supercomputers throughout the United States.
- The name Stargate comes from a 1994 science-fiction film about an interstellar teleportation device found in Egypt.
- The creation of Stargate is largely dependent on whether OpenAI can deliver its next major AI upgrade, rumored to be GPT-5, which The Information reports is due in early 2025.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2024) '$100 Billion Microsoft Stargate AI supercomputer will re-write the future', 311 Institute, 14 April. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/100-billion-microsoft-stargate-ai-supercomputer-will-re-write-the-future/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
A while ago Microsoft announced that they wanted to turn their global Azure cloud platform into the world’s largest supercomputer by harnessing the federated power of FPGAs, and now, a few years on they’ve just announced that they’re drawing up plans to build a $100 billion supercomputer, allegedly named “Stargate,” to power OpenAI’s next generation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, according to a report from The Information Friday.
Stargate is reportedly the fifth and final phase of Microsoft and OpenAI’s plan to build several supercomputers throughout the United States. The computer is rumoured to be one of the largest and most advanced data centers in the world. It could take up several hundred acres of land, and require up to 5 gigawatts of power. It’s considered crucial to OpenAI training and operating new, more advanced AI models than ChatGPT-4. Stargate could launch as soon as 2028.
The name Stargate comes from a 1994 science-fiction film about an interstellar teleportation device found in Egypt. The gateway leads to a far-away planet where Kurt Russel and James Spader must liberate enslaved people from a powerful false god.
“The key to the past, the door to the future, the passage to discovery,” reads the official trailer to Stargate, which inspired OpenAI and Microsoft’s AI supercomputer.
The creation of Stargate is largely dependent on whether OpenAI can deliver its next major AI upgrade, rumored to be GPT-5, which The Information reports is due in early 2025. Microsoft wants to see that OpenAI is still pushing forward with AI models that continue to captivate the world. OpenAI reportedly failed to ship a new AI project named “Arrakis” in 2023, a sign the company’s innovation may be slowing, largely blaming the limitations of current supercomputers.
What this means for your organisation
Compute becomes a land and power issue.
The reported Stargate plan could take up several hundred acres and need up to 5 gigawatts of power. That makes AI capacity a question of energy and sites, not only chips. Flexible data centre power, where sites cut or shift demand in return for faster grid connections, is one response to watch.
Big plans hang on model delivery.
The project reportedly depends on OpenAI delivering its next major upgrade, rumoured to be GPT-5 in early 2025. OpenAI also reportedly failed to ship Arrakis in 2023, largely blaming the limits of current supercomputers. Spending of this size follows proof that the models keep improving.
Specialist chips shape the timeline.
Stargate could launch as soon as 2028. Intelligence processing units, which are chips built for AI, are expected to be in wide use by 2028 on 311 data. Organisations buying AI capacity should plan around chip supply and cloud terms, not only model quality.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- How much power could our AI plans need, and who supplies it?
- What happens to our roadmap if the next model upgrade slips?
- Which AI workloads need dedicated compute, and which can run on shared cloud?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
When it comes to thinking big, especially when it comes to HPC and AI, this is the biggest announcement ever.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity programme, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- Microsoft and openai plot 100 billion stargate ai supercomputer theinformation.com
- Tt0111282 imdb.com
- Openai dropped work on new arrakis ai model in rare setback theinformation.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 14 April 2024. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2024). $100 Billion Microsoft Stargate AI supercomputer will re-write the future. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/100-billion-microsoft-stargate-ai-supercomputer-will-re-write-the-future/
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