France, Sept. 15 -- Fouju, a village of 650 inhabitants, an hour's drive from Paris, with 14th-century church and quiet streets, is preparing for a radical change. Amidst the grain fields surrounding the village, work is about to begin on a giant AI data centre.
The project, known as Campus IA, is set to cover 70 hectares - the equivalent of 100 football pitches.
By 2038, some 12 supercomputers, powered by nuclear energy, will be built. They are expected to consume up to 1.4 gigawatts of electricity, which represent roughly the entire output of a typical nuclear reactor.
The project is part of France's plan to develop its own AI infrastructure.
In February 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron announced at the Summit on Artificial Inte...