Meta is building AI data centers in tents

Meta can't build AI data centers fast enough, so the company behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp has resorted to running these computing facilities inside tents.

According to data center tracker Cleanview (as reported by TechCrunch), Meta is currently running six AI data centers just outside of New Albany, Ohio in recently erected tents. 

Michael Thomas, founder of Cleanview, posted photos on X showing the construction and finished tents. Thomas said it appeared that Meta had scrapped its original plans to build out the data center buildings and instead went with "rapid deployment structures" as they're officially called.

"The AI race has officially entered its Mad Max phase," Thomas posted on X alongside the photos.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

According to Thomas, he reviewed city permits that show that Meta began building five 125,000 square foot tents between April and June. In contrast, the first five buildings that Meta built as part of its original plans in New Albany, Ohio took approximately two to three years to build out.

Thomas says Meta has also signed a decade-long deal to build off-grid power plants to power the data centers. The power plant construction started last year and is almost built.

As TechCrunch points out, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously told The Information that the company was going to build weatherproof tents for its data centers. Meta isn't done utilizing tents for its AI data center construction strategy either. According to Thomas, the company is building data center tents at its AI data center site in Tennessee as well.

Big Tech companies like Meta have announced massive increases in capital expenditures to build new data centers to power AI products. However, a growing backlash to data centers, combined with normal bureaucratic obstacles, has put some data center rollouts behind schedule, the Wall Street Journal recently reported.