The world's first data center designed and operated by AI will be located in South Korea; key decisions will be made by AI.

South Korea is planning a $35 billion groundbreaking data center that could become the world's first large-scale facility designed, built, and operated entirely by artificial intelligence (AI).

The investment group Stock Farm Road (SFR) has partnered with AI developer Voltai, co-founded by Brian Koo, grandson of LG Electronics founder Koo In-hoi, and Amin Badr-El-Din, founder of BADR Investments. The project is also supported by Stanford University.

This ambitious project, named Project Concord, aims to integrate AI into all aspects of data center operations, including the design, construction, and management of resources such as electricity and water, as well as adapting to AI computing workloads. While human oversight will be present, key decisions will be made by AI.

The data center, located in Jeollanam-do, South Korea, will integrate advanced cooling infrastructure, high-fiber bandwidth, and an energy load management system to ensure optimal efficiency. It will also include renewable energy production, equipment supply, and research and development (R&D) programs aimed at achieving long-term technological sustainability. If completed as planned, the facility will cost up to $35 billion and have a power capacity of 3 gigawatts.

Globally, data centers with a single location exceeding 1 gigawatt in capacity are rare due to the high demand for AI computing chips.

In fact, the project was previewed earlier this year, with an initial investment of $10 billion and a potential total investment of $35 billion. Construction was planned to begin in 2025 and be completed in 2028. It was projected that the data center would generate $3.5 billion in initial revenue and create approximately 10,000 jobs, significantly boosting the region's economic development.