Elon Musk’s xAI intends to expand the size of its Colossus supercomputer in Memphis, Tennessee, to 1 million GPUs, the city’s Chamber of Commerce claims.

The news was revealed at the Greater Memphis Chamber Annual Chairman’s Luncheon, held on Wednesday, where guests heard from Brent Mayo, xAI’s senior manager for site builds and infrastructure.

According to the Chamber, Dell, Nvidia, and Supermicro are also setting up in Memphis, making the city the “global epicenter of artificial intelligence.”

Colossus launched earlier this year, running a reported 100,000 Nvidia GPUs in a data center housed in a former Electrolux factory.

Musk said in October plans are afoot to increase this to 200,000. The supercomputer is used to train and run the company’s AI chatbot, Grok, which Musk hopes will compete with services such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Mayo said: “In Memphis, we’re pioneering development in the heartland of America. We’re not just leading from the front; we’re accelerating progress at an unprecedented pace while ensuring the stability of the grid utilizing megapack technology.”

Greater Memphis Chamber President and CEO Ted Townsend added: “When we announced six months ago that xAI would make Memphis its home for Colossus, we recognized it as our defining moment.

“Memphis has provided the power and velocity necessary for not just xAI to grow and thrive, but making way for other companies as well. We’re excited to welcome Nvidia, Dell, and Supermicro to the ‘Digital Delta’.”

The chamber said it is setting up an “xAI Special Operations Team,” led by Townsend and Troy Parkes, the organization’s senior vice president of global business development. The team will apparently provide a round-the-clock concierge service to xAI.

How quickly xAI will be able to get its hands on such a large number of GPUs is questionable, given that the chips are in high demand. Nvidia shipped a total 3.76 million data center GPUs in 2023, according to analysts at TechInsights.

And while the Chamber is welcoming xAI with open arms, other parts of the Memphis community are less enthusiastic. Campaigners have voiced concerns about the amount of power granted to the facility by grid operator Tennessee Valley Authority, as well as its impact on air quality in the city.

Dell, Nvidia, and Supermicro all supply parts of Colossus. Details of their respective investments in Memphis have not been shared. DCD has contacted the trio for further information.