Husband of Roxy Jacenko plots to build nation’s largest AI facility in Tasmania
The state government has welcomed plans to build the nation’s largest artificial intelligence facility in Launceston. THE PLANS >>>
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The state government has welcomed plans to build the nation’s largest artificial intelligence facility in Launceston.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff joined Firmus Co-CEOs Tim Rosenfield and Oliver Curtis to announce Project Southgate — a purpose-built campus of liquid-cooled AI Factories now under construction in Launceston.
Southgate will power AI applications from gaming and content creation to enterprise AI and high-performance computing, connected via high-speed fibre across Australia and globally, he said.
“Tasmania is set to lead the world in sustainable artificial intelligence with the creation of a world-first AI Factory Zone in Northern Tasmania,” Mr Rockliff said.
Powered by renewable energy the AI Factory Zone will position the state as a global hub for clean, scalable AI.
The development is said to attract up to $2.1bn in its first stage and create up to 100 direct jobs, with more supported through construction, energy and technology supply chains.
“This is about turning Tasmania’s clean energy into opportunity – opportunity for jobs, for innovation, and for global leadership in the future of artificial intelligence,” Mr Rockliff said.
Firmus Co-CEO Tim Rosenfield said AI tools like ChatGPT run on tokens that are currently heavy on energy and emissions.
“Producing these AI tokens in Tasmania will create a new type of green AI token – clean and powered by renewables – enabling AI to scale sustainably,” Mr Rosenfield said.
Firmus Co-CEO Oliver Curtis said the proposal wasn’t a traditional data centre.
“AI Factories are purpose-built to power, train and inference artificial intelligences,” he said.
“With Tasmania’s clean energy and our AI Factory platform, we believe this will be the most cost-effective, sustainable AI facility in the world,” Mr Curtis said.
“Project Southgate will form the foundation of Australia’s artificial intelligence infrastructure and secure our place as the Asia-Pacific region’s AI hub.”
Mr Curtis, the husband of high-flying public relations executive Roxy Jacenko, has turned a $250,000 investment in the company into a stake in Firmus worth a reported $81m.
In 2016, Mr Curtis was jailed for two years after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit insider trading which made him and a friend $1.4m in 2007 and 2008.
He was released the following year.
Shadow minister for energy and renewables Janie Finlay said the state didn’t have the electricity to power new power-hungry data centres.
“Data centres – especially AI factories – are among the most energy-intensive developments in the world,” she said.
“Just yesterday, Boyer Paper Mill revealed its $24m project to convert from coal to clean electric boilers has stalled – not because of financing, or planning, but because there’s simply no electricity available in Tasmania.
Under the Liberals there’s been no new generation in five years, Tasmania has become the hardest place in the country to build wind farms and transmission prices continue to rise, putting the squeeze on major employers.
“If Jeremy Rockliff can find hundreds of megawatts for global tech companies, he can explain why he can’t do the same for Tasmanian businesses who employ local workers and power our regions.”
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Originally published as Husband of Roxy Jacenko plots to build nation’s largest AI facility in Tasmania
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