A data center in downtown Baltimore is undergoing a major expansion to help power the explosion of artificial intelligence.
AiNET is increasing the capacity of its 300 W. Lexington St. data center from 80 megawatts to 280 megawatts. The expansion will add 200 to 300 more employees to the site to help the center support possibly hundreds of thousands of new users. AI’s high electricity needs compared to more traditional ways of using the internet are causing an explosion of data center demand nationwide. The growth of AI, combined with increased demands for internet security, has created the perfect opportunity for data centers like AiNET that provide the foundation of the internet.
“This allows more of the building to be used for the latest applications of AI,” said Palig Kelenjian, senior global project manager for AiNET. “People who require more power, hypervisors [software that operates virtual computers], those who do AI research, AI hosting, anything.”
AiNET’s facilities at 300 W. Lexington St. are spread out between two buildings. One, nicknamed “The Tower,” is 150,000 square feet, while the second building, “The Palace,” is 50,000 square feet. Data centers are large groups of computer servers companies use to process, store and distribute large amounts of data. The power demands of these facilities are immense because servers need to be constantly cooled to prevent them from overheating. The full 200-megawatt upgrade to AiNET will likely take several years to complete, said Perry Fisher, the company’s senior vice president. The company could add tens of thousands of servers and machinery to handle the additional power as well as more cooling equipment depending on what clients need.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Matt Hooke over at Baltimore Business Journal
