Tesla is in the process of constructing unique data centers, as revealed by a job listing on their official website. This move might be a result of Tesla’s increasing data needs as they venture into full-autonomous driving, AI, and robotics. Essentially, data centers house vast quantities of digital data, servers, and networking tools.
The specific Tesla job advertisement is for a senior engineering program manager position in Austin. This role will involve tasks like designing layouts, choosing infrastructure systems, and spearheading the creation of Tesla’s data centers.
Several tech behemoths, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, have their own data centers. Interestingly, after Elon Musk took the reins at Twitter (renamed X) the previous year, Tesla began using an NTT Global Data Centers facility in Sacramento previously leased by Twitter, as per The Information.
Tesla refines its technologies by gathering data from its electric vehicles worldwide. They’ve even stated that their neural network undergoes live training using data from their vehicles internationally.
However, the surge in data collection brings about concerns regarding privacy. From 2019 to 2022, videos from Tesla vehicles were shared by employees on an internal platform, Reuters reported. Additionally, a leak early this year exposed 100 gigabytes of data, according to the German daily, Handelsblatt.
If found in breach of the strict European GDPR, Tesla could face severe financial penalties. Furthermore, Tesla’s ambitions in the virtual power and energy storage sectors might also necessitate additional data centers. Their Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP) lets Tesla users feed energy back to the grid during crises, receiving compensation in return.
