source: techcrunch ai: meta steals a tactic from tesla and builds data centers in tents
level: business
meta has built six tent-like structures in new albany, ohio, to house ai data centers. the company calls them rapid deployment structures. the tents each span 125,000 square feet and were constructed between april and june. satellite images confirm they are complete. the approach mirrors tesla's use of tents during model 3 production and xai's use of modular gas turbines for power. the site runs on 200 megawatts from nearby gas turbines.
the tents will contain ai chips worth billions of dollars. meta is building dozens of these tents across u.s. campuses. the goal is to cut construction time in half. this comes as meta struggles to release ai models to developers. its latest model, muse spark, is complete but api access has been delayed. meta plans to spend up to $145 billion on data centers and other capital expenses. using tents is a way to reduce costs.
wall street has reacted negatively to meta's spending plans, with the stock down 5% this year. the tent strategy may help trim capital expenditure bills. the project highlights extreme measures in the ai race. rapid deployment structures and off-grid power are becoming common tactics. meta has not commented on the tents. the findings come from michael thomas of cleanview, who reviewed permits and satellite imagery.
why it matters: this shows how ai infrastructure demands are pushing companies to unconventional, cost-cutting construction methods, affecting data center scalability and energy use.
source: techcrunch ai: meta steals a tactic from tesla and builds data centers in tents