data residency vs data sovereignty: Weekly Brief: Cerebras's 100MW Deal, IBM Z, and EU AI Sovereignty - June 10, 2024

Cerebras Secures 100MW AI Chip Deal with Gimlet Labs

Recent reports from qz.com and Reuters highlight a significant development in the AI hardware landscape: Cerebras Systems has secured a deal to supply 100 megawatts worth of AI chips to cloud startup Gimlet Labs. This announcement underscores the immense and rapidly growing demand for specialized AI compute, particularly for large-scale training and inference workloads. The sheer power requirement – 100 megawatts – is a stark indicator of the energy intensity of modern AI and the scale at which companies like Gimlet Labs are planning to operate.

For Europe, this trend has direct implications for its sovereign AI ambitions. The EU's push for reserve AI compute Europe and the establishment of AI data center Europe initiatives like the EuroHPC AI Gigafactories call, demonstrate a clear understanding of this escalating demand. However, securing access to such high-performance, specialized hardware remains a critical challenge. While Cerebras's Wafer-Scale Engine (WSE) offers unparalleled performance for certain AI tasks, its availability and integration into European-controlled infrastructure are key considerations for achieving true sovereign AI compute Europe.

The deal also brings into focus the competitive landscape, as The Motley Fool's comparison of BigBear.ai and Cerebras Systems suggests ongoing investor interest and innovation in the AI technology sector. For AGICY, these developments reinforce the strategic importance of our partnerships, such as with Tenstorrent for their Galaxy Blackhole systems, to provide diverse and cutting-edge GPU leasing Cyprus options.

IBM Z and LinuxONE: A Nod to On-Premises Sovereignty

Separately, StorageReview.com reported on IBM's move to offer its Digital Asset Haven on-premises on IBM Z and LinuxONE in beta, complete with an ISO 20022 adapter for Swift. This development, while seemingly distinct from AI chip news, is highly relevant to the broader discussion of data residency vs data sovereignty.

IBM's commitment to on-premises solutions for critical financial infrastructure highlights a fundamental principle: for sensitive data and operations, control over the physical location and underlying hardware is paramount. This directly aligns with the EU's stringent data protection regulations, such as GDPR Article 48, and the overarching goal of preventing CLOUD Act exposure.

The IBM Z and LinuxONE platforms are renowned for their security and reliability, making them attractive for environments where your data never leaves Europe is not just a preference, but a regulatory mandate. As AI applications become increasingly integrated into critical infrastructure, the lessons from secure mainframe environments will become invaluable. Ensuring that AI models and the data they process are hosted on secure, EU-controlled hardware, without fear of extraterritorial access, is a cornerstone of EU sovereign compute.

The Path to European Sovereign AI

The convergence of these trends – massive AI compute demand and the imperative for data sovereignty – defines the challenge and opportunity for European sovereign AI. Building robust EU sovereign AI infrastructure requires a multi-faceted approach:

• Diversified Hardware Access: Relying on a single vendor or architecture is risky. AGICY's strategy to offer a range of advanced AI accelerators, including Tenstorrent Galaxy lease Europe options and other GPU servers Cyprus, provides flexibility and resilience.
• Energy Efficiency and Sustainability: The 100MW Cerebras deal underscores the energy challenge. Future AI Gigafactories and AI colocation Cyprus facilities must prioritize energy efficiency, potentially leveraging technologies like 800 VDC data center designs.
• Regulatory Compliance at the Core: Every aspect of the infrastructure, from physical location to software stack, must be designed to meet EU regulations like the EU AI Act Digital Omnibus and GDPR. This includes ensuring EU data residency for AI through solutions like the Copperway gateway, a European alternative to OpenRouter.
• Strategic Partnerships: Collaborations with innovative hardware providers, like our engagement with Tenstorrent for their Tenstorrent Galaxy Blackhole, are crucial for bringing cutting-edge technology to Europe. Understanding the Tenstorrent Galaxy Blackhole price and its TCO is vital for clients planning their AI investments.

The demand for pre-COD compute reservation and take-or-pay AI capacity is growing as organizations seek to secure their AI future. AGICY is actively addressing this by offering Sovereign Resource Agreements (SRAs) for our upcoming Vasilikos AI campus, ensuring that European enterprises can access the compute power they need while maintaining full data sovereignty. The commitment to no CLOUD Act exposure is not just a marketing slogan; it's a foundational principle embedded in our infrastructure design and operational philosophy.

As the AI landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace, Europe's ability to develop and control its AI infrastructure will be a key determinant of its future economic competitiveness and strategic autonomy. The recent developments from Cerebras and IBM serve as timely reminders of both the technological advancements and the sovereign imperatives at play.

GPU leasing, rent, buy, or colocation

AGICY paths for this silicon: GPU leasing, rent GPU server, buy AI accelerator (client-site finance), or AI colocation / GPU colo (also searched as collocation). Fleet in view: Tenstorrent Galaxy Blackhole, Cerebras CS-3, IBM z17 / LinuxONE 5. Planned Cyprus campus — pre-construction, not a live hall. GPU leasing estimates · hardware roadmap · SRA.