AI Infrastructure: Building Stargate & Beyond

Event ID: PP1149845

Tue, Mar 17, 2026 | 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Venue: Salon E (JW Marriott)

View on Official SXSW

Summary

The AI revolution has changed how we work, play, and more. It is also driving a major shift in the backend infrastructure that powers these developments. As AI capabilities accelerate, leading tech companies are moving beyond software and into the physical world of data centers, power, and infrastructure. Why? Because the future of intelligence now depends as much on electricity and silicon as it does on algorithms. In this session, OpenAI pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to scale AI today. The conversation explores how data center development has become mission-critical, how decisions about where to build are made, and what happens when AI growth collides with real-world limits such as energy, land, and supply chains. From energy partnerships to site selection, this conversation will reveal how data center development has shaped the landscape in nearby locations – such as OpenAI’s Stargate facility in Abilene, Texas – and perhaps someday far away in Earth’s orbit.

Contributors

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