AI Is Hungry For Power — Some Experts Say Drowning It Might Help

Even as world leaders and climate activists around the world insisted that humans must curtail our energy use to save the planet, a new high-tech marvel came along with an insatiable appetite for power.

While you might already know that artificial intelligence platforms gobble up a staggering amount of electricity to process all that information, the true extent of that demand is probably greater than most folks realize.

Moving things underwater

One of the most pressing issues is the sheer amount of energy production (and related emissions) required to make AI work. Among the efforts underway to find a more sustainable solution to this growing problem is a proposal by some AI companies that their massive data centers be operated deep underwater.

Doing so, supporters of the plan say, would allow the water to naturally cool processors, protecting the data and the environment simultaneously. But not everyone is convinced.

Digging for the truth

Network Ocean is one startup company hoping to start testing the efficacy of underwater AI centers. It has a plan to conduct trials in the San Francisco Bay and could help shape the future of this high-tech industry.

It likely won’t be smooth sailing for Network Ocean or any other company planning to do the same, though.

Critics are worried about how such programs could negatively impact the surrounding environment. There are also more than a few regulations to follow and permits to obtain.

And that’s on top of the concerns that still plague AI in general.

Data centers are responsible for the evaporation of millions of gallons of water and currently rely on fossil fuels for their continued operation.

Even if underwater storage for AI data centers catches on, it will only solve one of a few problems many people have about this technology.

Chris Agee September 27th, 2024

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