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Empire AI is rolling out in phases so researchers can start using compute capacity early while the long-term facility build proceeds at the University at Buffalo.

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Deployment timeline

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What each phase is for

Alpha gives the consortium a working environment early. That matters because it lets researchers begin pilot projects, software validation, and onboarding before the larger infrastructure is complete. Beta is the first major scale jump. It is the phase that moves Empire AI from a promising pilot into a nationally significant academic AI platform. Gamma is the long-term buildout that ties the computing center to purpose-built physical infrastructure at UB.
Think of the rollout as staged risk reduction. Alpha validates workflows. Beta scales production AI research. Gamma finishes the permanent facility and long-horizon operating model.

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Macro-economic impact

Empire AI is also a regional infrastructure investment, not just a research asset. The materials you provided describe a concentrated Buffalo-area buildout between 2024 and 2027 with measurable state-level economic effects.
  • Approximately $196 million goes into construction, equipment, and related supercomputing infrastructure.
  • About $90 million of that spend is expected to flow to in-state suppliers, contractors, and engineering firms.
  • The buildout is projected to generate about $155 million in one-time economic output in New York State.
  • The project is expected to support roughly 200 jobs per year during the 2024-2027 period.
  • Direct labor income over that period is estimated at about 67million,orroughly67 million, or roughly 89,200 per worker on average.
These numbers explain why Empire AI is framed as both research infrastructure and economic development policy. The state is using the computing center to create technical capacity, attract talent, and keep more AI-related spending, jobs, and downstream innovation inside New York. Later board and membership expansion also tracks the timeline. By October 8, 2025, Empire AI had added new board members and expanded institutional participation to include the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. That broadened the research base at the same time the infrastructure was scaling.