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News & Current Events Apr 20, 2026 at 5:57 AM

Australia's biggest AI factory planned for remote WA

Posted by Inevitable_Jaguar676

Australia's biggest AI factory planned for remote WA
www.abc.net.au
Australia's biggest AI factory planned for remote WA
A huge artificial intelligence data centre capable of training models like ChatGPT is planned for WA's remote north at a cost of billons of dollars.
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leisurechef Apr 20, 2026 +26
I want to be diplomatic & sensitive for this delicate interaction to be a conduit for the shear visceral communication of humanity… F*** OFF AI CUNTS
26
the_mooseman Apr 20, 2026 +1
Here here
1
EmmaFrostBroken Apr 20, 2026 +14
It's not a factory. Don't call it a factory. Stop allowing yourselves to be puppets for the AI companies desperately trying to rebrand this shit because they know it's deeply unpopular and for good reason. They want to call them factories because that label evokes a mental image of lots of jobs being created. When in reality there's barely any jobs associated with a data centre.
14
tecdaz Apr 20, 2026 +8
Not a factory - a data centre. To be powered by renewables backed by natural gas. a joint venture between Karajarri Traditional Lands Association (KTLA), Dutch geodata company Fugro, and Australian geoscience firm Longreach Capital Investment. per the article
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Abizuil Apr 20, 2026 +11
> Not a factory - a data centre. I'm wondering if that's an attempt at a rebrand to try and avoid the stigma of data centers by OP because the article itself doesn't mince words and just calls it a data center. "Plans emerge for country's biggest AI data centre in Western Australia", the actual article title for those who didn't open the link.
11
latherrinseregret Apr 20, 2026 +2
Is WA = Western Australia? The part that is mostly desert?
2
Garshnooftibah Apr 20, 2026 +1
Yup. And while there is a reasonably large city, Perth, on the South-West coast - where they are planning to put this thing is INCREDIBLY remote. Have a look at a map of Australia and find 'Broome' (pop: 15,000). The site they are proposing is 100km south of there. It's wild.
1
datumerrata Apr 20, 2026 +5
I wouldn't want to be the sys admin that has to drive that at 3am because services are down.
5
Minguseyes Apr 20, 2026 -1
I think they’re talking about training because it’s too far away from anywhere populous to properly run inference. If AI starts to use World Models that require local real time training then remote centres like this would be expensive white elephants.
-1
So1ange Apr 20, 2026 +1
It’s all mining towns out there and despite being a desert actually gets quite a bit of rain in the wet season.
1
Bum_Hunter Apr 20, 2026 +1
Even using natural gas as your primary fuel source from a power generating station does not make data centers renewable. The toll these infrastructures takes is substantial so much so these business took legal action to block information on there energy toll. Electricity, water and the rare earth resources used to produce the chips, As well as, their general normal operational use costs. 
1
igottheshnitz Apr 20, 2026 -2
How will they cool it?
-2
hippodribble Apr 20, 2026 +2
It's in the article. Closed loop water refrigerated by renewables. That area is one of the sunniest on Earth. Fugro hasn't exactly been a player in LLM data centers. They have a few data processing centres for exploration data around the world. They must be expanding beyond seismic data processing and autonomous marine vehicle control. Why the other two parties are partnering with an earth sciences specialist to make an AI data centre in a remote area isn't clear. Presumably any number of companies could do this. They have quite a big relationship with the WA government, for space flight, telecoms, asset management, etc.
2
igottheshnitz Apr 20, 2026 -1
Thanks. I just wish people would put more info than a statement and a link, but thank you for that extra info.
-1
calstanfordboye Apr 20, 2026
Last thing anyone needs
0
Inevitable_Jaguar676 Apr 21, 2026 +2
Agreed! Im guessing a lot of $ has changed hands to grease the wheel
2
Nervous_Squirrel_ Apr 20, 2026 -1
Theres enough water there?
-1
So1ange Apr 20, 2026 +2
It has two seasons, dry or wet. 
2
WTFwhatthehell Apr 20, 2026 +1
Rule of thumb: any article that complains about the water use of data centres is unserious. It's an argument people throw at the wall in the hope it sticks but it relies entirely on readers not being able to do math.  Power use is a different matter. They're total power hogs. 
1
jaa101 Apr 20, 2026 +2
They're putting it there because of the c**** power.
2
jaa101 Apr 20, 2026
Read the article.
0
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