US Energy Crisis Threatens AI Progress, Leaving the Country Behind

Casey Crownhart, senior reporter for energy at MIT Technology Review, notes that the biggest barrier to AI progress is no longer money, but energy. "For about a decade before 2020, data centers were able to offset increased demand with efficiency improvements," Crownhart writes. "Now, though, electricity demand is ticking up in the US, with billions of queries to popular AI models each day, and efficiency gains arent 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 issue is particularly pressing in the US, where massive data centers are waiting to come online, but the country is not building the necessary infrastructure to support them. According to Crownhart, the US needs to build a steady power supply to support the growth of AI, but it is not clear if this will happen. "It wasnt always like this," Crownhart notes. "But now, the US is facing a significant challenge in its pursuit of AI progress." The implications of this challenge are significant, as AI is becoming increasingly important in many areas of society, from healthcare and finance to transportation and education. If the US is unable to keep pace with the growth of AI, it could fall behind other countries, such as China, which is rapidly building out its renewable energy infrastructure. "China's rapid renewables buildout could help it leapfrog on AI progress," notes Pilita Clark, FT's columnist. The issue of energy and AI is not just a US problem, but a global one. As AI continues to grow and become more widespread, it is likely to require increasing amounts of energy to power it. This could lead to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions, which could have serious consequences for the environment. "The growth of AI is not just a technological challenge, but also an environmental one," notes Crownhart. In recent years, there have been efforts to address the issue of energy and AI, including the development of more efficient data centers and the use of renewable energy sources. However, more needs to be done to address the growing demand for power from AI. "We need to build a steady power supply to support the growth of AI, and we need to do it now," notes Crownhart. As the US and other countries continue to grapple with the challenge of energy and AI, it is clear that this is a complex and multifaceted issue that will require a coordinated effort to address. The stakes are high, and the consequences of failure could be significant. But with the right approach and a commitment to innovation, it is possible to build a sustainable future for AI that benefits society as a whole.