Google will launch AI bots into house to avoid wasting Earth from pricey carbon calls for
Bosses said artificial intelligence data centres in space are needed to cope with the Earth’s rising demand for AI.
Google is planning to launch AI computers into space. The US tech giant is getting ready to send its first trial equipment into orbit in early 2027.
Bosses said artificial intelligence data centres in space are needed to cope with the Earth’s rising demand for AI.
Boffins believe tightly packed constellations of about 80 solar-powered satellites could be arranged in a continuous low-level orbit about 400 miles above the planet.
They will be equipped with the computer processors required to train and run the huge AI database.
Google researchers said the cost of sending equipment to space is falling at such a rate that by the mid-2030s “launching and operating a space-based data centre could become roughly comparable to the reported energy costs of an equivalent terrestrial data centre”.
Under the plans being hatched they will transmit their results back to Earth through optical links using light or laser beams. The idea has been dubbed Project Suncatcher and was announced as tech companies bid to keep up with rapid advances in AI.
It has already been estimated that £2.3 trillion will be spent on Earth-based data centres in locations from India to Texas and Lincolnshire to Brazil.
There is rising concern over the impact on carbon emissions if clean energy is not found to power them.
Scientists believe targeting space could minimise the impact on the Earth’s resources in terms of the land and water needed to cool data centres. Launching a rocket into space emits hundreds of tonnes of CO2 but once in orbit the data centres would be powered by solar panels.
In a statement, Google said: “In the future, space may be the best place to scale AI computers. Working backwards from there, our new research moonshot Project Suncatcher envisions compact constellations of solar-powered satellites, carrying Google TPUs [custom-designed AI accelerators] and connected by free-space optical links.
“This approach would have tremendous potential for scale and also minimises impact on terrestrial resources.”
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