A GREY RECTANGULAR building on the outskirts of San Jose houses rows upon rows of blinking machines. Tangles of colourful wires connect high-end servers, networking gear and data-storage systems. Bulky air-conditioning units whirr overhead. The noise forces visitors to shout.
The building belongs to Equinix, a company which leases data-centre space. The equipment inside belongs to companies from corporate giants to startups, which are increasingly using it to run their artificial-intelligence (AI) systems. The AI gold rush, spurred by the astounding sophistication of “generative” systems such as ChatGPT, a hit virtual conversationalist, promises to generate rich profits for those who harness the technology’s potential. As
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