Dobroslav Dimitrov, Brait: To have an artificial intelligence gigababrika is comparable to the decision to be a nuclear state

In mid -March, it was learned that Sofia Tech Park was approved by Brussels a project to build an artificial intelligence factory. Now we’re talking about the gigafabrika, is it actually discussing?

But now we’re talking about an ambition in Bulgaria to have a gigababrika – about 100 times the power of that of the park, and we have a unique chance to fulfill such ambition because of the energy network we have because of the climate we have, because it has an IT industry, nuclear energy. All of these things give us a unique chance to try to be one of those few countries that will have a similar computing centers that are of a completely different class – gigababri.

Who depends on such a project, at what level a decision should be made?

– This must be driven by the state, because it is initially related to energy companies, but also the local authority, which must actually provide the necessary areas on which to build it. One such factory is located on a variety of between 1 and 2 square kilometers. And in reality, these are areas in one place that can only be provided by the state or municipalities – unused terrains of a ministry or others, but in industrial regulation. In addition, in order to gain this competitive advantage, we must step on something existing. We have to be close to a substation, not yet to do something. And in fact, all these things are in the hands of the state.

And do anyone in the face of the state think about it, are there talks?

– Yes, there are, and in the countries of energy companies, because inquiries on these topics are going to them. There are also ministries, as is the Ministry of Innovation and Growth, there are smaller projects that are moving, and there are business. There are different things at different levels. But the idea of ​​a round table on the subject was to actually declare ourselves as a country, this ambition to get us on the agenda as a society that we actually want this to happen. Since if in a piece, if we do here and there any things, be it a small center here, a small center there, it is not the positioning of Bulgaria strategically to attract the Gigawa Factory for artificial intelligence. And that would legitimize us in a completely different way as a country – to be part of the Fifth Industrial Revolution.

It is important that the president also fully supports such an initiative. In fact, we must all be on board. Such an effort cannot be an institution. Since to convince someone like Microsoft to install a power of 1 gigawat, it costs more than $ 20 billion only technique and to trust us with such a technique, plus the investment of several billion, we must as a country to show that we can be relied upon and are predictable. And in order to be predictable, there must be consensus in the whole society that we want to do such a thing.

It is noteworthy that there is clear support only from the presidential institution, and the executive power is modestly represented …

– I would not look at this in this way – to look for a negative slope, because, on the other hand, the executive branch has a lot of miserable care to deal with on a daily basis. And in reality it is a strategic look and it is not strange to leave the president, however, our country is so arranged – he is the commander -in -chief and the first in the state of constitution. So it’s not weird. Again, I say, about the executive branch, the topics with which they happen to work on a daily basis, sometimes allow them to look in the general terms. And in reality, in order to work something, we all actually have the ball.

And inquiries to Bulgaria (what the head of state mentioned during the roundtable – white, aut.

– There is no inquiry for the gigababrica, we need to act. In Bulgaria, we have a huge problem – purely image whether they would view us as a country where they can entrust the technique for 20 billion. It is no accident that I repeat that we all have to be in this thing so that we can all lobby through the contacts we have. There are people in Bulgaria who can reach people like Bill Gates in one or two contacts. But in order to talk about such a thing, the state must have shown seriousness. In order to show the state seriousness, it cannot be just one institution effort. As we are all together, it will be. Otherwise, there is simply no one to take us seriously.

In neighboring countries, do you think about it, you know?

– I have no idea. There are data centers in Greece that have attracted, but they are again very smaller. The difference between the artificial intelligence factory and the data center is the density of electricity used per unit area. It’s just that the challenge is much, much greater to build an artificial intelligence factory, because it becomes the home for much larger computing facilities that need different types of solutions-for cooling systems, for electricity, for securing and so on. And last but not least for a huge amount of technique as a value that must be trusted there.

What are our potential competitors in this field in Europe?

– Not many. Someone mentioned the Netherlands on this topic, but there the network is so compacted that you can’t let a warmth. Nothing can be built because there is nowhere. In Germany, they have stopped nuclear power plants, which is a serious problem in this regard, and they have a serious industry. In Bulgaria, when this energy system was built, the economy was extremely energy -intensive and now it is not. We have 20 gigs of installed power, and in peak moments we use 6. That is, we have a very free capacity. While in the west this capacity is largely compacted. There are literally three locations in the West. France is one of them and it is the only one in Europe for which such intention has been announced.

Is there a limit that Europe can take as a number of gigafabri?

– The McKinsi report from December is planning to add at least 200 gigs of new artificial intelligence by 2030. These are 200 gigababri, which should be built for the next 5 years globally – in the small to the average version. But this year, the NVIDIA Executive Director in his presentation announced that what they thought in the company would be needed as a calculation power last year, this year they already think it would be 100 in one year. In reality, NVIDIA produces 1 gigawatt chips that swallow gigs per month.

Each month, 1 gigs of NVIDIA chips are installed somewhere to work. So you will have a lot. It’s just that the question is how much they can be stacked precisely because Europe has not invested in its energy infrastructure for a long time.

When, if it reacts with a decision on Bulgaria, will it be too late?

– We hardly have a larger window than two years, because the problem is that at the moment we start, the delivery of units, cooling, batteries, generators – everything you can think of because of the high demand is 18 months. Which means that every delay makes the execution too far to qualify for 2030. That’s why Microsoft reactivates 3 Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant in the United States and reserves power for 30 years.

It’s just that such competition is currently underway. But at one point, others will wake up and start investing in their networks. We currently have a key advantage that others, unlike us, do not have free capacity, and we have. But after another 3 or 5 years they will be pronounced. So now we have 2 years, no more. It is no coincidence that I mentioned 2026. We come up with a specific proposal-here are these 3 plots in Bulgaria are appropriate, there is one of your security, there are some opportunities, the state stands for this thing and we are looking for strategic investors.

If Bulgaria succeeds in, what will mean such a factory for the country’s economy?

– The benefits are irrelevant. Only the construction of such a thing is worth a billion. Then we have all this network suppliers who actually lead to it. The positioning of Bulgaria – they will look at it in a very different way. Ah, Bulgaria, where there is a gigababrika.

If you look as an example of the United States – when Microsoft went to one place with the Data Center, after 10 years, the data -datarians are already 50. There are universities and everything revolves around this thing, it creates an entire social ecosystem, which is a completely different order.

Whatever I say, I will not exaggerate. This is so important. And that is why it is so important to properly place what the task is for us. It is the same when we have an ambition to become a nuclear state, we have long been one of about 10-12 countries in the world with nuclear power. This is this type of ambition as compromised. And it can actually happen, because we have everything, absolutely everything is on our table. We just have to act quickly.