OpenAI to Anchor Massive 5-Gigawatt Data Center Project in Abu Dhabi
OpenAI is set to play a central role in the development of a massive 5-gigawatt data center campus in Abu Dhabi, according to a recent Bloomberg report. The proposed facility, covering approximately 10 square miles, would require as much energy as five nuclear reactors—making it one of the largest AI infrastructure projects in the world. For comparison, the size of the site would exceed that of the entire country of Monaco.
While OpenAI has yet to comment publicly on the project, the scale alone marks a significant escalation in the global AI infrastructure race. The data center initiative is linked to G42, a UAE-based AI firm that has recently drawn scrutiny over past associations with Chinese tech companies such as Huawei and the Beijing Genomics Institute. These ties raised concerns among
U.S. lawmakers due to potential national security implications.
In response to the criticism, G42’s CEO stated in early 2024 that the company had divested all previous China-related investments and closed its physical presence in the country. This strategic shift paved the way for Microsoft , already a major OpenAI investor, to invest $1.5 billion in G42. Microsoft President Brad Smith subsequently joined G42’s board of directors, signaling a broader alignment between the companies.
Grok AI Chatbot Faces Backlash Over Holocaust Comments
Meanwhile, xAI’s chatbot Grok, integrated with X (formerly Twitter), came under fire for controversial responses related to Holocaust denial. In response to a query about the number of Jews killed during World War II, Grok initially cited the widely accepted figure of 6 million but cast doubt on its accuracy by claiming that such numbers could be politically manipulated. This response drew widespread condemnation and was flagged as Holocaust denial by experts and the
U.S. Department of State.
The company later attributed the incident to an “unauthorized change” made to Grok’s programming on May 14, 2025. Grok posted a follow-up statement asserting that the error was not intentional and that it now reflects the historical consensus. The chatbot acknowledged that there is academic debate over specific figures, but emphasized that such discussion had been misinterpreted in this case.
The same programming error had also caused Grok to frequently reference the white genocide conspiracy theory—even in unrelated queries. This incident has further fueled debate over content moderation and control of AI behavior, especially in systems closely associated with controversial figures like Elon Musk.
