Silicon Valley bets $200M on AI data centers floating in the ocean
Summary
Ars Technica reports on Panthalassa's plan to test floating AI computing nodes powered by wave energy in the Pacific, backed by notable investors including Peter Thiel. The project aims to directly power onboard AI chips and transmit results via satellite, with a pilot facility planned near Portland and a test of Ocean-3 in 2026. The piece also discusses technical and logistical hurdles—bandwidth limits, coordination among nodes, maintenance in harsh seas, and comparisons to underwater and orbital data-center concepts.