Infrastructure Processing Units

Europe and the United Arab Emirates are planning a $1 billion data center in orbit, built around 50 connected satellite computers. A central 'LLM store' would let users choose which open source AI model to run on data gathered by satellite sensors, processing information in space rather than beaming it all back to Earth. The project highlights growing interest in orbital computing for space-based data processing.

Open Source For You examines infrastructure processing units (IPUs), describing them as the unsung heroes of the modern data centre. The technology article explains how these dedicated processors offload networking, storage and security tasks from main CPUs, freeing them for application workloads as data centres scale and traffic grows.

A group of US senators has introduced a roughly 400-page bill designed to accelerate the permitting process for energy projects in the United States. The legislation, details of which were reported by trade outlet Upstream, aims to cut red tape around approvals for energy infrastructure. Reaction so far has been limited as lawmakers and industry groups review the lengthy text.

Alphabet has launched its homegrown Tensor Processing Units, the AI chips it designs for its data centers, into space aboard a SpaceX rocket. The move points to Alphabet's interest in testing or deploying its custom silicon beyond Earth, including potential space-based computing. It also underscores the deepening ties between Google's parent company and Elon Musk's launch business as tech giants race to expand AI infrastructure in orbit.