TNB Tech Minute: OpenAI Leases Ohio Data Center

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
This podcast is sponsored by Comcast Business.

**Amit Verma** (0:03)
So CIO's role has evolved, and they're moving from being a technologist to being the bridge between AI capabilities and human adoption.

**SPEAKER_1** (0:13)
That's Amit Verma, CTO at Comcast Business. He believes that continuous intelligence and operating posture linking people, applications, data and machines is essential for AI at scale. Later, learn why it requires strong executive leadership.

**Julie Chang** (0:31)
Here's your morning TNB Tech Minute for Monday, August 17th. I'm Julie Chang for The Wall Street Journal. OpenAI has signed a 10GW data center lease in Ohio with SoftBank's SB Energy for a project that's expected to become a major AI hub. People familiar with the matter say the deal is backed by a commitment from NVIDIA aimed at helping the developer raise debt financing without exposing the chipmaker to a substantial amount of risk. In return for its commitment, sources say NVIDIA will be the exclusive chip provider for the first half of the Ohio site and take an equity stake in SB Energy. The Southern Ohio campus is partly located on a former uranium enrichment site owned by the US Department of Energy, and it's expected to generate enough energy to power 7 million homes.
Uber is teaming up with the drone startup Zipline to make drone deliveries. Under the partnership, Uber Eats will start deliveries with Zipline's drone network in Dallas and Houston by the end of the year. The companies plan to expand the offering across the US, targeting 1 million deliveries a day by the end of 2029 Uber is also investing in undisclosed amount in Zipline. With the drones, Uber expects to fulfill orders in 5-10 minutes, while extending the range of its service beyond urban and suburban areas.
And Alibaba Group is selling its video game business in a deal worth at least $1.5 billion.
According to an internal memo viewed by the Journal, the company has reached an agreement to sell Lingxi Games to an Asian private equity firm. Alibaba has spent recent years pushing its non-core businesses to become profitable or selling them. The efforts aim at strengthening the company's finances as it increases investment in AI and e-commerce. That's your TNB Tech Minute. Join us again this afternoon for more.

**SPEAKER_1** (2:27)
Amit Verma from Comcast Business explained the key role of CIOs in building systems of continuous intelligence across the organization, which is essential for AI at scale. But responsibility is shared across the C-suite.

**Amit Verma** (2:40)
The CEO and the board owns the business risk and the resilience. It involves your CFO organization for support on the investment.

**SPEAKER_1** (2:50)
The Chief Human Resources Officer steers and shapes AI-driven workforce transformation. The Chief Information Security Officer ensures data safety and compliance. And it goes on. Cross-functional teamwork helps make way for real transformation.

**Amit Verma** (3:03)
Without that partnership and collaboration, Verma says, You are going to develop point solutions that just automate a part of the process and not the end-to-end process. So it limits or reduces the impact of the automation.

**SPEAKER_1** (3:18)
Visit comcastbusiness.com/enterprise to learn how Comcast Business helps enterprises navigate an ever-changing technology landscape.