Australian technology firm FlexSysAI has launched a new platform to shift AI workloads across locations to reduce stress on the grid.

The system works by connecting live electricity market and grid conditions with AI workload balancing, shifting compute workloads to locations where power is cheap and abundant, while also allowing non-critical workloads to be reduced where necessary during periods of grid stress.

The company claims it will allow data center operators to connect to the grid sooner, lower power bills, access low-carbon power during periods of abundance, and monetize demand response services, while providing optionality over where workloads are shifted.

The platform will initially be trialed and deployed in the Australian market. The company claims to have already secured a pipeline of multiple data centers exploring adoption of the technology in Australia. It is backed by early investors EnergyLab and Sean Senvirtne, and is part of Nvidia’s Inception program.

Commenting on the launch, FlexSysAI co-founder Victor Feoktistov said: “Data centers need a strategy for the power crunch that is holding back the sector. Physical grid constraints are beginning to bite, and time to power is already a major constraint for operators. These pressures are likely to worsen over the next two to three years, while regulatory pressure is moving even faster as more jurisdictions look to require flexibility from large energy users.”

“Flexibility needs to be built into data center operations today to stay competitive. FlexSysAI can support both voluntary and mandatory approaches, but we believe giving data centers a voluntary path to participate is critical to driving early adoption. Operators stay in control, see a live price for flexibility and choose when to shift workloads, while connecting to the grid sooner and getting ahead of mandatory requirements that continue to emerge across key markets.”

FlexSysAI is one of several companies to develop a platform that can modulate AI workloads to reduce grid impact. The most notable is Emerald AI, which has developed a platform called the Emerald Conductor that mediates between the grid and data centers, orchestrating AI workloads in real time. The company has completed several demonstration projects to prove its system works within real-world data center environments. So far, it has completed two in the US, in Phoenix and Chicago, and one in the UK in partnership with the National Grid.

The company announced its first commercial project in October, with the orchestration software set to be deployed at Nvidia’s under-construction 96MW Aurora data center in Manassas, Virginia.