Energy Crisis Threatens US AI Supremacy

Casey Crownhart, senior reporter for energy at MIT Technology Review, notes that the biggest barrier to AI progress is no longer money, but energy. "In the age of AI, the biggest barrier to progress isn't money but energy," Crownhart said. "That should be particularly worrying here in the US, where massive data centers are waiting to come online, and it doesn't look as if the country will build the steady power supply or infrastructure needed to serve them all." The issue is not a new one, but rather a result of a decade-long trend. According to Crownhart, data centers were previously able to offset increased demand with efficiency improvements, but now electricity demand is ticking up in the US, with billions of queries to popular AI models each day, and efficiency gains are not keeping pace. As a result, the strain is starting to show, with electricity bills ballooning for people who live in places where data centers are located. The problem is not unique to the US, however. China, for example, is rapidly building out its renewable energy infrastructure, which could help it leapfrog on AI progress. "China's rapid renewables buildout could help it leapfrog on AI progress," Pilita Clark, FT's columnist, noted. "The country is investing heavily in solar and wind power, which will provide a clean and reliable source of energy for its data centers." The US, on the other hand, is struggling to keep up. According to the US Energy Information Administration, the country's electricity demand is expected to increase by 14% by 2030, while new power capacity is not being built at a sufficient rate to meet this demand. As a result, the country is facing a significant challenge in providing a steady power supply to support the growth of AI. The implications of this development are far-reaching. If the US is unable to provide a reliable source of energy for its data centers, it could hinder the country's ability to develop and deploy AI technologies, which are increasingly being used in a wide range of industries, from healthcare to finance. "The lack of reliable energy infrastructure is a major obstacle to the development of AI in the US," said Dr. John Kelly, a leading expert on AI and energy. "If we don't address this issue, we risk falling behind other countries in the development of this critical technology." The situation is not without hope, however. There are efforts underway to address the issue, including the development of new energy storage technologies and the expansion of renewable energy infrastructure. "We are seeing significant investment in energy storage technologies, such as batteries, which will help to address the intermittency of renewable energy sources," said Dr. Kelly. "Additionally, there are efforts underway to expand the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, which will provide a clean and reliable source of energy for data centers." In conclusion, the US is facing a significant challenge in its pursuit of AI progress, as the country's energy infrastructure struggles to keep pace with the growing demand for power from massive data centers. While there are efforts underway to address the issue, the situation is complex and will require a sustained effort to resolve.