South Korea builds AI infrastructure at sea bottom

South Korea is developing underwater data centers to solve land scarcity issues while expanding its AI infrastructure. The coastal city of Ulsan was selected in April to host a pilot project that will install servers in sealed containers 20 meters deep, with potential capacity for 100 thousand machines. The initial investment of 51.1 billion won (approximately 243 million yuan) will fund tests expected to begin later this year. Technical challenges include ensuring equipment withstands pressure three times higher than atmospheric and resists salt corrosion and condensation. The goal is to keep electronic devices operating continuously for 5 to 7 years in the underwater environment. The project is coordinated by the Korean Institute of Marine Science and Technology, with participation from SK Telecom, Lotte Construction, and POSCO. Simultaneously, South Korea is also developing floating data centers through partnerships such as between HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Schneider Electric, along with Samsung Heavy Industries projects that have already received regulatory approval in the US and UK. This approach emerges in a context where the country aims to join the world's leading AI powers, facing increasing constraints on available land. The technology is not unprecedented: Microsoft conducted tests in 2020 and China already operates commercial facilities in Hainan. Beyond solving spatial restrictions, natural cooling from seawater is advantageous given that generative AI systems consume hundreds to thousands of GPUs, generating substantial heat.