Several hyperscalers plan to go from construction start to 1 GW in two years or less, which determines how fast frontier training and inferenceRunning a trained model to get answers — the phase where AI is actually used, as opposed to trained.Full definition → capacity can arrive.
Key takeaways · AI-distilled
Epoch's data-center timelines combine satellite imagery, permits and company disclosures. Their milestones mix observations with projections, so a projected gigawatt date does not confirm that capacity is operating.
Epoch measures the gigawatt threshold across an entire campus. Reaching it means at least 1 GW of facility power is estimated to be online, rather than that every planned building is complete.
Epoch's default estimate places first operation 150 days after roof completion, but delays it when cooling or power is not evident. Different definitions of operational status also limit comparisons between sites.
Terms in this piece · Glossary
inference — Running a trained model to get answers — the phase where AI is actually used, as opposed to trained.
