Tesla Says It Will Build New 'First of Its Kind' Data Centers (electrek.co) 53
Tesla is hiring staff for the company's new "first of its kind" data centers. Electrek reports: Tesla has shared a new job posting for a "Sr. Engineering Program Manager, Data Center" role first spotted by Electrek last week. In the job posting, Tesla says that it will build "1st of its kind Data Centers": "This role will lead the end-to-end design and engineering of Tesla's 1st of its kind Data Centers and will be one of the key members of the factory engineering team." Tesla didn't explain how those data centers will be "1st of their kind," which is not something you'd expect in a job posting anyway.
But interestingly, the new effort comes as Tesla has been taking over data centers from Twitter. [...] The Information reported that Tesla has taken over one of the old Twitter data centers leased from NTT Data that the social media company was using in Sacramento. The report also mentions that Tesla is in talks with Prime Data Centers to use another data center that Twitter used to have in Sacramento.
Tesla is seeing its need for data processing increasing rapidly as it tries to take advantage of its growing fleet of millions of vehicles all equipped with cameras in order to improve the neural nets powering its self-driving effort. The automaker is also handling a growing number of connectivity features that it tries to sell to vehicle owners through a $10-a-month "Premium Connectivity" subscription service. On the energy side, Tesla is also handling a lot of data to operate its virtual power plant and its services to distributed energy assets, like Autobidder and Powerhub.
But interestingly, the new effort comes as Tesla has been taking over data centers from Twitter. [...] The Information reported that Tesla has taken over one of the old Twitter data centers leased from NTT Data that the social media company was using in Sacramento. The report also mentions that Tesla is in talks with Prime Data Centers to use another data center that Twitter used to have in Sacramento.
Tesla is seeing its need for data processing increasing rapidly as it tries to take advantage of its growing fleet of millions of vehicles all equipped with cameras in order to improve the neural nets powering its self-driving effort. The automaker is also handling a growing number of connectivity features that it tries to sell to vehicle owners through a $10-a-month "Premium Connectivity" subscription service. On the energy side, Tesla is also handling a lot of data to operate its virtual power plant and its services to distributed energy assets, like Autobidder and Powerhub.
Will they lie about its performance as well? (Score:2, Interesting)
For the past decade, Tesla's been lying about the range its vehicles can get [reuters.com], even going so far as to alter the software to present a more "rosy" picture of how much further one could drive before needing a recharge. They even set up a special team whose sole job was to cancel appointments people made to have their car looked at.
More than likely one can expect the same hype and lies with this "data center". Guaranteed we'll hear how it's simply the best, without providing any evidence other than what they
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
It's unlikely that Tesla's Dojo chip will outperform NVidia but they will probably pay less by avoiding the NVidia tax. Also, having the chips custom built for this specific AI workload will also yield many benefits by avoiding the NVidia CUDA API tax as well.
So I don't think it's really relevant to say that his data center is hyped. Of course it is and he's hyping up the position. It's still important and will likely be the best datacenter for AI workloads for a long time.
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What are you basing the assumption that it is unlikely to outperform nVidia on?
Re:Will they lie about its performance as well? (Score:4, Insightful)
The NVIDIA A100/H100 are currently sold out for the next year. If Tesla had access to superior chips they wouldn't need to sell low margin cars they could just sell their chips.
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Because Nvidia has a decade of experience making accelerators for the datacenter.
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OpenAI might feel different.
Re:Will they lie about its performance as well? (Score:4, Insightful)
OpenAI is trying to secure funding from nation states all over the world. Their plan is to create the de facto generative model by using so much data center capacity nobody could possibly compete. But I doubt brute-forcing AI is going to yield much results. It's more about appearing to be unapproachable than actually being the best.
Re:Will they lie about its performance as well? (Score:5, Insightful)
As though these things were easy enough to engineer that Tesla can compete with Nvidia yet others cannot. CNNs are NOT a complementary technology of BEVs. Yeah, it's the "tax" that's the problem. ;)
"It's still important and will likely be the best datacenter for AI workloads for a long time."
LOL sure, for "AI workloads" as Elon Musk defines them, he invented AI after all. And how long is a "long time"? The time Tesla takes to deliver a CyberTruck? The time it takes to deliver FSD? The time it takes Tesla to revise an existing model? Or maybe the time it takes Musk to manipulate the Crypto market or call someone a pedo? Maybe the time it takes Musk to impregnate another employee.
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The fact is that he's already secured a significant portion of TSMC's capacity. Hype has been an integral part of the technology market for decades, get over it.
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They revise existing models all the time. The model 3 is on it's 4 generation. It is just because you are a sucker for consumerism and have gotten conditioned to that a car manufacturer must have a cosmetic update every year so you can show of you have the money to stay on the latest model.
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They revise existing models all the time. The model 3 is on it's 4 generation. It is just because you are a sucker for consumerism and have gotten conditioned to that a car manufacturer must have a cosmetic update every year so you can show of you have the money to stay on the latest model.
That's really only the case in the US, where a model must be visibly different to show the Jones' that you've not got this years model.
European and Japanese cars tend to get refreshed every 6 or so years with a life cycle change every 3 years to add improvements to the design. Often they don't even change the appearance mid life cycle. Some models can have 10 years between major releases such as the Toyota 86.
The 12th gen Corolla or 3rd Gen i30 sold in the US won't be doing a looks update every year
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It seems that some early Cybertruck deliveries to select customers may have already started. We know because photos of them show the usual Tesla quality - poorly aligned body panels, poor finish on the paint-free surface.
Anyway, it's interesting that Tesla is only now talking about having these huge AI learning systems up and running, given that Musk originally promised that "full self driving" would be available in 2017. Imagine you bought your Tesla with "full self driving" package back in 2016 when he sa
Re:Will they lie about its performance as well? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Will they lie about its performance as well? (Score:4)
"...even going so far as to alter the software..."
It appears through 3rd party testing that Tesla reports remaining range as (%battery remaining) * (EPA rating). Seriously. This is the technical sophistication of Elon Musk's genius, a SuperKendall-class "algorithm".
https://www.caranddriver.com/n... [caranddriver.com]
Re:Will they lie about its performance as well? (Score:5, Interesting)
Well, while it might not be as accurate as, say, reporting [kWh remaining] * [this vehicle's average kWh per mile], to call that formula "altering the software" or "lying about range" is stretching the truth more than Tesla is.
EPA mileage estimates are done under the force of law. One can disagree with the calculations, even the EPA says that they're only estimates and your results will vary, but it's about the closest thing we have to a common comparison, an even test result.
While I'm no Musk fanboy, there's a lot of haters out there that will take any excuse to shit on Tesla.
For example, this from the article [reuters.com]:
Tesla years ago began exaggerating its vehicles’ potential driving distance – by rigging their range-estimating software. The company decided about a decade ago, for marketing purposes, to write algorithms for its range meter that would show drivers “rosy” projections for the distance it could travel on a full battery, according to a person familiar with an early design of the software for its in-dash readouts.
Then, when the battery fell below 50% of its maximum charge, the algorithm would show drivers more realistic projections for their remaining driving range, this person said. To prevent drivers from getting stranded as their predicted range started declining more quickly, Teslas were designed with a “safety buffer,” allowing about 15 miles (24 km) of additional range even after the dash readout showed an empty battery, the source said.
What's interesting about this to me? It's something that traditional automakers have done for literally decades with gasoline cars. The gas gauge not being "accurate", and this being deliberate, was something I knew as a teenager. And they did much the same thing - it'd read "Full" longer than it should, hit accurate at around maybe half a tank, then tell you it's empty even when you have a gallon or two left(~30 miles).
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One can disagree with the calculations, even the EPA says that they're only estimates and your results will vary, but it's about the closest thing we have to a common comparison, an even test result.
The problem is that the EPA has TWO different tests for the manufacturer to choose from, so it isn't a common comparison when Ford uses the more conservative two-cycle test and Tesla uses the, uh, more optimistic five-cycle test. A shopper will assume that they were tested the same, which is not true. Tesla is within their rights to use whichever test they want, but the EPA needs to get rid of the five-cycle test so that all range estimates are based on the same test.
Fun fact for the day: The Model 3 h
Re:Will they lie about its performance as well? (Score:5, Funny)
If Elon is in charge of this project, I'd imagine that the Tesla data center AI will randomly threaten to beat up the Facebook data centers as well.
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Musk shill (Score:1)
"The automaker is also handling a growing number of connectivity features that it tries to sell to vehicle owners through a $10-a-month "Premium Connectivity" subscription service."
LOL like what?
Elon Musk is now inventing the data center to support AI which he also invented.
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Only thing I see invented by musk is how to commit career suicide. Would be nice if his corpse realized it's dead and fucked off already.
Xst of their kind. (Score:5, Funny)
Tesla didn't explain how those data centers will be "1st of their kind," ...
Instead of 1s and 0s, all their servers will use Xs and 0s. :-)
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Amateur! Obviously, they will use X and X! What, you cannot see the difference? Just means you are not on the genius-level that Elon is!
Re: Xst of their kind. (Score:2)
Well the difference is obvious between X and the factorial of X
Re: Sounds good (Score:2)
Re: Sounds good (Score:1)
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...These will be the first ones Elon will try and replace with AI ...
Finally a good reason (Score:2, Funny)
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So, I realize you're joking. But given that Melon Husk spent 44 billion dollars on Twitter, the joke doesn't work all that well...
Although it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that Husk will, at some point, CLAIM that's why he bought Twitter - and try to get people to somehow forget what the purchase price was.
Re: Finally a good reason (Score:1)
Implying... (Score:2)
Extension of existing Tesla work (Score:5, Interesting)
should've guessed this before (Score:1)
he's just going to do some crypto bullshit with his new data centers, isn't he?
Robbing Peter to pay Paul (Score:2, Funny)
> Tesla has taken over one of the old Twitter data centers leased from NTT Data that the social media company was using in Sacramento
I wonder if Tesla are better than Twitter at paying their rent?
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Which rent ?
The nice thing with vertical integration, is you don't have unnecessary externalities.
This is not good news (Score:1)
What this really means is that we consumers will be forced to buy more of these "premium" subscriptions that the car industry is trying to force down our throats.
Currently, the only thing I miss in my Tesla Y is updates for the sat nav. To get this, I have to pay for this subscription, because they - unlike all other mid level automakers - have saved the money for the TMC antenna. Or rather, they have not spent 5 cents on the antenna to make me pay the 14$ price here in Denmark. A standard data SIM card for
Just another 'new' label on the same old thing... (Score:1)
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