Latest news with #NewCarlisle
The Sun
13-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Inside Amazon's new AI megacity building machine as powerful as human brain – and why it's bad news for Britain
IT was once sprawling fields, but now a 1,200-acre stretch of fertile farmland is home to a single gigantic AI data centre. The former cornfields outside New Carlisle, Indiana, have been transformed by Amazon's latest megabucks tech investment. 4 4 Inside seven massive buildings are hundreds of thousands of specialised computer chips and miles of fibre optic cable, connecting every chip and computer to create a giant machine ready for artificial intelligence. And by the time the site is finished, it will be home to 30 gigantic warehouses, all for AI start-up Anthropic. With Amazon investment, it hopes to build an AI machine that matches the power of the human brain. And the company claims it will be 'the world's largest AI compute cluster'. The beast, spanning the entire plot, will use 2.2gigawatts of electricity and millions of gallons of water to keep the chips from overheating. To put that into perspective, it is estimated that a single request to ChatGPT requires the equivalent of a small bottle of water to keep the chips cool. And this is just the beginning of the AI industrial revolution, which is leaving the UK scratching around in the USA's and China's dust. The global data centre market is set to be worth $517billion by 2030, according to Barclays Research. But are we in danger of missing the boat? AI expert Tom Edwards told The Sun: 'AI is the next industrial revolution and is likely to be bigger than the last one. 'The biggest problem the UK has in getting involved is the energy infrastructure. 'We're playing catch- up to the US because we're switching off North Sea oil and gas. 'We should be building more data centres, but we'd have to build the energy infrastructure to support them, which is a huge challenge in itself. 'These centres require so much energy because they are running thousands of computations in parallel to create AI and that needs a huge amount of energy. 'It's much more energy-intensive than using a traditional computer. 'The UK has some of the best minds coming out of Oxford and Cambridge when it comes to computing, but we're woefully behind China and the US as it stands. 'Without these data centres, we're just going to keep falling behind. 'Just to get up to speed with China and the US, we would need to do a huge amount of work, and we aren't doing that fast enough.' As it stands, the UK government is keen to support AI development, and has plans for a 176-hectare site in Scunthorpe, Lincs, and one in Watford that would be the size of 17 football pitches. But neither have yet been given a green light, and would require billions of pounds in investment to build. Number Ten has vowed to use AI to turbo-charge its Plan For Change. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle insisted the UK was just in the 'foothills' of the AI revolution and that investing in the new technology would inject billions of pounds into the economy. He told The Sun: 'Data centres are the lifeblood of the AI revolution and we're determined that the UK will seize this incredible opportunity. 'This government is boosting our AI capability, bringing investment to former industrial heartlands for this new Industrial Revolution. 'With more than £6billion of private investment into data centres committed in the last year, we are cementing Britain's place as a global AI leader.' Back in America, Amazon's Project Rainer — the site in Indiana — is so large it can only be fully viewed from above. 'I can't live in my home' And the building work does not stop here. There are plans for facilities in Mississippi and potentially North Carolina and Pennsylvania. It's a bid from Jeff Bezos's company to become a heavyweight in the AI sphere which, until now, has been dominated by Facebook's parent company Meta and OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Not to be left out, OpenAI is building a 1.2-gigawatt facility in Texas and another, nearly as large, in the United Arab Emirates. These new sites are miles bigger than the data centres built before the AI boom in 2022 sparked by ChatGPT. And the huge change does not only create work for computer geniuses. AI guru Tom added: 'These sites bring loads of construction jobs.' For the Indiana site, Amazon has four different construction crews working simultaneously. The New York Times was told by Bill Schalliol, a community economic development official, that there are 4,000 workers on the plant each day. 'I don't know if they're competing for cash or steak dinner, but it's crazy how much they're getting up,' he said. 'Steel starts to go up here, the next day it's going up over there.' Nearby hotels have been filled with the workers, and there has been such a rise in traffic accidents and congestion that Amazon agreed to pay £90,000 to cover overtime for traffic enforcement. They also threw in an additional £5.5million for local road improvements. But the investment and jobs are not sitting well with all the locals. In order to bury the fibre optic cables to connect the warehouses, and install other buried infrastructure, Amazon had to pump water out of the wet ground nearby. According to one permit, the company pumped 2.2million gallons of water per hour for 730 days. The process, known as dewatering, is now being investigated as locals report wells drying up. 'You can see the mountain of dirt they are ready to shove on those wetlands,' Dan Caruso, a retired mail carrier from New Carlisle, told The New York Times. 'Wildlife depends on those wetlands.' It's not the first time a data centre has been investigated for causing environmental damage. One built in the US state of Georgia for Meta has faced allegations it is making the area uninhabitable due to contaminated water. Beverly Morris told The BBC: 'I can't live in my home with half of my home functioning and no water.' Meta denied being to blame for Beverly's private well drying up, saying the water issues were not connected to their data centre. Objections to the huge projects by locals have cost £47billion in projects delayed or blocked nationwide, according to Data Center Watch. But with AI use booming, there are sure to be more plants built worldwide. And it's one revolution we will need to be part of — or risk being left behind. 4
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon considers additional investment in Anthropic
Amazon is evaluating a potential increase in its investment in Anthropic, aiming to enhance their strategic collaboration in the competitive AI sector. According to a Financial Times report, Amazon is planning an additional multibillion-dollar investment in the AI company. The potential investment would follow Amazon's previous $4bn injection into Anthropic in November 2024. The move would secure Amazon's position as one of Anthropic's largest shareholders, surpassing Google's $3bn investment in the AI company. The e-commerce giant has already committed $8bn to Anthropic. The FT report stated that the ongoing collaboration between Amazon and Anthropic is considered crucial for both companies, as they work together on significant projects. This includes working on one of the world's largest data centre initiatives and offering Anthropic's technology to Amazon's cloud computing clients. Anthropic, founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees, initially partnered with Amazon as a cloud computing customer. In September 2023, Amazon invested $1.25bn in Anthropic, providing a reliable source of compute and investment. Amazon's 'Project Rainier', a large-scale data centre programme in New Carlisle, Indiana, is designed to meet Anthropic's computing needs. The facility, utilising Amazon's Trainium2 chips, will have a power capacity of 2.2GW. Amazon's investment in Anthropic, estimated at a fair value of $13.8bn, involves convertible notes, with only part converted into equity. Both Amazon and Google's stakes remain below a third of Anthropic, with no voting rights or board seats. Anthropic's recent equity valuation was reported at $61.5bn in March 2025, by PitchBook. Amazon's investment in Anthropic ranks as its third-largest after MGM Studios and Whole Foods Market. Amazon is Anthropic's primary cloud and training partner, using its data centres and Trainium chips for large language model development. Anthropic also employs Google's Tensor Processing Unit chip, Trillium. Claude, an AI assistant built by Anthropic, is integrated into Amazon's products, such as Alexa+ and Prime Video. Meanwhile, Google previously reported that more than 4,000 customers used Anthropic's models on its cloud platform. "Amazon considers additional investment in Anthropic" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
50 years later, this Quebec advocacy group is still helping anglophones thrive
Beyond the beehives and a grove of trees on Lynden Bechervaise's property sits the office of a regional organization that's become a familiar name on Quebec's Gaspé peninsula. The Committee for Anglophone Social Action (CASA), founded in 1975 and rooted in New Carlisle, Que., was the first association in Quebec to serve and represent a minority English-speaking community. Now, it's celebrating 50 years. "Holy Hannah, we started something pretty small," said CASA founder Bechervaise, 84. "It's really taken off." The non-profit organization has ballooned since its founding, representing people along the southern coast of the Gaspé Peninsula, from Matapedia to Port-Daniel–Gascons. A lifelong resident of New Carlisle, Bechervaise remembers a time when many in his region felt less connected. For years, he says anglophones living in the Gaspé had few services in English, especially social services. CASA helped fill that gap. Fifty years after its creation, it's become a model for other organizations that serve English-speaking communities in regions across Quebec. LISTEN | Joining the celebrations: A region cut off from local news It was at a budget meeting of the Gaspesian Cultural Association where Bechervaise, who was working for the regional school board, first planted the seeds for what would become CASA. During a coffee break, Bechervaise approached Bernard St-Laurent, a former CBC journalist and the association's co-ordinator at the time, about getting involved in a new project — a newspaper focused on the needs of the English community. "I said, 'Yeah, absolutely.' And that's essentially how it got started," said St-Laurent, recalling the conversation. The local English weekly newspaper was called the Gaspé Spec, which is still in circulation. At the time, if people wanted news in English, Berchervaise says they relied on radio from New Brunswick. "I felt that we needed to do more," he said. "We had to create a community between Matapedia and Gaspé." St-Laurent says this newspaper was a priority given the political climate and how the region was cut off from local news. "We were in the middle of one of what would come to be called the language wars," said St-Laurent. The Robert Bourassa government had passed Bill 22 in 1974, making French the official language in Quebec and determining who was eligible to attend English schools. "There was social change coming to the province and we felt it was important to find a way to make this information accessible to them," said St-Laurent. "Our thinking was that the newspaper could help." Once the Gaspé Spec was up and running, Bechervaise wanted to do even more to help his community. He stepped back from the newspaper and put his efforts into developing CASA. 'They didn't create a need, they answered the question' Over five decades, the non-profit has developed programs relating to health and social services, culture, youth and community development. It introduced seniors' wellness centres, employability programs, literacy courses and heritage initiatives. Bechervaise doesn't take credit for the programs or for CASA's longevity. "It wasn't me," he said. "It was the animators, the people." But the team didn't keep the model of the programs to themselves. Twenty-three networks of community organizations in the province have implemented CASA's early childhood development program called Bright Beginnings, says Jennifer Johnson, the executive director of the Community Health and Social Services Network, based in Quebec City. She said CASA's seniors' wellness centres' program has also had significant success, with more than 120 locations across the province — including 10 in Montreal. Johnson says the organization's greatest legacy is how well CASA staff understand the people they serve. "They have been a leader in terms of developing programming that actually has an impact on groups of vulnerable people," she said. CASA inspired a new generation of organizations across Quebec who serve anglophones after another advocacy group, Alliance Quebec, and its regional chapters closed in 2005. Sharleen Sullivan, the executive director of Neighbours Abitibi -Témiscamingue, one of those groups, says CASA taught her to meet people where they're at. "The people bought into it — they weren't telling the members or the community what they needed. The community told them," she said. "They didn't create a need, they answered the question."
CBC
06-07-2025
- General
- CBC
50 years later, this Quebec advocacy group is still helping anglophones thrive
Beyond the beehives and a grove of trees on Lynden Bechervaise's property sits the office of a regional organization that's become a familiar name on Quebec's Gaspé peninsula. The Committee for Anglophone Social Action (CASA), founded in 1975 and rooted in New Carlisle, Que., was the first association in Quebec to serve and represent a minority English-speaking community. Now, it's celebrating 50 years. "Holy Hannah, we started something pretty small," said CASA founder Bechervaise, 84. "It's really taken off." The non-profit organization has ballooned since its founding, representing people along the southern coast of the Gaspé Peninsula, from Matapedia to Port-Daniel–Gascons. A lifelong resident of New Carlisle, Bechervaise remembers a time when many in his region felt less connected. For years, he says anglophones living in the Gaspé had few services in English, especially social services. CASA helped fill that gap. Fifty years after its creation, it's become a model for other organizations that serve English-speaking communities in regions across Quebec. A region cut off from local news It was at a budget meeting of the Gaspesian Cultural Association where Bechervaise, who was working for the regional school board, first planted the seeds for what would become CASA. During a coffee break, Bechervaise approached Bernard St-Laurent, a former CBC journalist and the association's co-ordinator at the time, about getting involved in a new project — a newspaper focused on the needs of the English community. "I said, 'Yeah, absolutely.' And that's essentially how it got started," said St-Laurent, recalling the conversation. The local English weekly newspaper was called the Gaspé Spec, which is still in circulation. At the time, if people wanted news in English, Berchervaise says they relied on radio from New Brunswick. "I felt that we needed to do more," he said. "We had to create a community between Matapedia and Gaspé." St-Laurent says this newspaper was a priority given the political climate and how the region was cut off from local news. "We were in the middle of one of what would come to be called the language wars," said St-Laurent. The Robert Bourassa government had passed Bill 22 in 1974, making French the official language in Quebec and determining who was eligible to attend English schools. "There was social change coming to the province and we felt it was important to find a way to make this information accessible to them," said St-Laurent. "Our thinking was that the newspaper could help." Once the Gaspé Spec was up and running, Bechervaise wanted to do even more to help his community. He stepped back from the newspaper and put his efforts into developing CASA. ' They didn't create a need, they answered the question' Over five decades, the non-profit has developed programs relating to health and social services, culture, youth and community development. It introduced seniors' wellness centres, employability programs, literacy courses and heritage initiatives. Bechervaise doesn't take credit for the programs or for CASA's longevity. "It wasn't me," he said. "It was the animators, the people." But the team didn't keep the model of the programs to themselves. Twenty-three networks of community organizations in the province have implemented CASA's early childhood development program called Bright Beginnings, says Jennifer Johnson, the executive director of the Community Health and Social Services Network, based in Quebec City. She said CASA's seniors' wellness centres' program has also had significant success, with more than 120 locations across the province — including 10 in Montreal. Johnson says the organization's greatest legacy is how well CASA staff understand the people they serve. "They have been a leader in terms of developing programming that actually has an impact on groups of vulnerable people," she said. CASA inspired a new generation of organizations across Quebec who serve anglophones after another advocacy group, Alliance Quebec, and its regional chapters closed in 2005. Sharleen Sullivan, the executive director of Neighbours Abitibi -Témiscamingue, one of those groups, says CASA taught her to meet people where they're at. "The people bought into it — they weren't telling the members or the community what they needed. The community told them," she said.
New York Times
24-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
At Amazon's Biggest Data Center, Everything Is Supersized for A.I.
A year ago, a 1,200-acre stretch of farmland outside New Carlisle, Ind., was an empty cornfield. Now, seven Amazon data centers rise up from the rich soil, each larger than a football stadium. Over the next several years, Amazon plans to build around 30 data centers at the site, packed with hundreds of thousands of specialized computer chips. With hundreds of thousands of miles of fiber connecting every chip and computer together, the entire complex will form one giant machine intended just for artificial intelligence. The facility will consume 2.2 gigawatts of electricity — enough to power a million homes. Each year, it will use millions of gallons of water to keep the chips from overheating. And it was built with a single customer in mind: the A.I. start-up Anthropic, which aims to create an A.I. system that matches the human brain. The complex — so large that it can be viewed completely only from high in the sky — is the first in a new generation of data centers being built by Amazon, and part of what the company calls Project Rainier, after the mountain that looms near its Seattle headquarters. Project Rainier will also include facilities in Mississippi and possibly other locations, like North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Project Rainier is Amazon's entry into a race by the technology industry to build data centers so large they would have been considered absurd just a few years ago. Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is building a two-gigawatt data center in Louisiana. OpenAI is erecting a 1.2-gigawatt facility in Texas and another, nearly as large, in the United Arab Emirates. These data centers will dwarf most of today's, which were built before OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot inspired the A.I. boom in 2022. The tech industry's increasingly powerful A.I. technologies require massive networks of specialized computer chips — and hundreds of billions of dollars to build the data centers that house those chips. The result: behemoths that stretch the limits of the electrical grid and change the way the world thinks about computers. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
