18 August 2026

Guardian investigation reveals Microsoft has far fewer AI chips than capacity claims suggest

Microsoft reported having 2.2 million AI chips installed globally by mid-2024, significantly lower than what experts expected given the company's public statements about datacentre capacity.
The company claimed it added 5 gigawatts of datacentre capacity in two years, but academic analysis of Microsoft's own sustainability reports suggests actual AI capacity is roughly one-fifth of that figure.

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