A floating data center with thousands of Nvidia GPUs has raised questions about whether this practice could result in the creation of sovereign AI states in the future.
The BlueSea Frontier Compute Cluster (BSFCC), created by US company Del Complex, is essentially a giant ship with 10,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs worth a combined $500 million.
In an announcement on This will be supplemented with “kinetic risk mitigation” by an internal security team.
Differing AI regulations
The company described the BSFCC as the “pinnacle of computing and autonomy.”
It seems like autonomy is the main focus here for Del Complex. The idea behind the project points towards the eventual creation of ‘sovereign nation states’ dedicated to the development of AI.
In its announcement on
Del Complex’s claims come in the wake of growing debate over the global regulation of AI in recent months. Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order outlining the rules surrounding the development of generative AI.
The executive order will ensure that US agencies create new standards for AI safety and security, and will likely act as a precursor to any upcoming legislative action on the technology.
Del Complex seems to believe that the BSFCC will help organizations avoid this surveillance because the data center is located in a maritime ‘no man’s land’.
“Government dominance not only slows the pace of innovation, but also interferes with humanity’s cosmic gifts,” the company said. “With increasing global concerns about the strict regulation of AI model training, Del Complex offers a haven in international waters.”
“BSFCC is the solution to… the ongoing draconian AI regulation and oversight… the need to exponentially scale your frontier models… the risk that comes with putting your computing in traditional cloud computing platforms.”
In the long term, the plan could eventually include a fleet of floating data centers that roam international waters, allowing users to avoid both regulations and, most notably, tax obligations.
“Each BSFCC operates as its own sovereign nation-state deep in international waters, free from the constraints of regulatory authorities,” Del Complex explains.
“These networked states remain untouched by delay rhetoric and offer additional benefits as tax shelter opportunities.”
Could Del Complex’s plan work?
Del Complex appears confident that the ‘state’ status of each data center is in line with international laws on sovereignty.
The company said the status of each would be recognized by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Montevideo Convention.
This is due to the fact that each country would have a permanent population in the form of security forces and personnel, a ‘defined territory’, a government and the “ability to establish relations with other states”.
“BSFCCs are each governed by their own charter, a document that outlines the rights and responsibilities of residents and visitors,” the company said.
“Each charter is a living document that is subject to change by the BSFCC operators and their business partners.”