In a significant move to bolster its AI hardware capabilities, X, the social media firm previously known as Twitter and now under Elon Musk’s leadership, has been granted a $10.1 million tax break for maintaining its data center hardware in Atlanta, Georgia. This decision follows the company’s earlier contemplation of relocating to Portland, Oregon.
The decision by Fulton County
The Development Authority of Fulton County played a pivotal role in this outcome, voting 6-2 in favor of the tax break. The incentive is part of a larger $700 million project aimed at deploying IT equipment in a QTS data center located at 1025 Jefferson Street, Atlanta. This resolution arrives after a previous deadlock in December, where the board split 4-4, necessitating this recent re-evaluation.
Impact on X’s AI and infrastructure plans
X’s commitment to developing and training artificial intelligence products, including large language models and semantic search for the X Platform, stands at the core of this project. The tax break is seen as a strategic move to support the company’s extensive use of AI technologies.
In April 2023, X had invested in 10,000 GPUs for an AI initiative, signaling its deepening foray into the AI sector. Despite the earlier refusal of the tax incentive, the company continued deploying some infrastructure in Atlanta, driven by the urgency of its AI deployment schedule.
Financial and operational dynamics
Dhruv Batura, leading the X project, revealed that nearly all but $200 million of the equipment had already been shipped to the Atlanta data center. He indicated that the remaining equipment would be moved to Portland if the tax incentives were not approved. Batura emphasized the cost-effectiveness of operating in Atlanta with the tax abatement, aligning it closely with the costs in Oregon, where X already enjoys tax breaks.
Job preservation and economic implications
Contrary to expectations of new job creation, X acknowledged that the project’s primary goal is to protect 24 existing jobs. However, it is projected to generate over $16 million in new tax revenues over the next decade. Additionally, the project is anticipated to engage 50 additional employees across various vendors for data center fit-out and infrastructure handling.
X’s evolving data center strategy
Since its acquisition by Elon Musk in April 2022, X has undergone significant changes in its infrastructure strategy. Reports in late 2022 indicated a downsizing of its Atlanta data center, alongside the exit from one of its Sacramento facilities in California. In June 2023, Tesla, another Musk-led venture, took over a data center previously occupied by X.
The company has reportedly freed up significant capacity and decommissioned networking infrastructure as part of its data center reorganization. Amidst these changes, X faced accusations of delaying payments to cloud providers like Google, Oracle, and Amazon, purportedly to renegotiate contracts.
The recent decision by the Development Authority of Fulton County to grant a $10.1 million tax break to X marks a critical step in the company’s continued investment in AI technology. While the project does not promise new job opportunities, it ensures the retention of existing roles and anticipates substantial tax revenue generation. This development underscores the strategic importance of Atlanta in X’s overall AI and data center strategy, even as the company recalibrates its infrastructure footprint across the United States.
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