Elon Musk Warns: AI May Hit Power Capacity Limits by Mid-Next Year

  • Elon Musk warned that AI data centers might encounter power capacity problems toward the latter part of next year.
  • Musk said his artificial intelligence startup xAI is building a gigawatt-size data center outside Memphis, Tenn.
  • A gigawatt is equivalent to the power capacity of the average nuclear plant in the U.S.

Elon Musk said Tuesday that artificial intelligence development could run into power generation problems by the middle of next year, as the technology industry builds increasingly large data centers .

Musk told an interview that his artificial intelligence startup xAI is planning a gigawatt-size facility outside Memphis, Tenn. He said the facility would be complete in six to nine months. A gigawatt is equivalent to the power capacity of the average nuclear plant in the U.S., according to the Department of Energy.

Musk said AI faces three major limitations as it scales up: chips, transformers and power generation. Transformers are used to ramp down the voltage of electricity produced by power plants so it can used by computers.

"As we solve the transformer shortage, there will be the fundamental electricity generation shortage," Musk told 's David Faber. "My guess is people are going to start hitting challenges with power generation maybe by the middle of next year, end of next year."

Alphabet's Google unit warned in February that the U.S. is facing a power capacity crisis As the U.S. competes with China to lead in artificial intelligence, Google began exploring nuclear energy upon recognizing that renewable sources might be contributing to grid instability, according to Caroline Golin, who oversees global energy market development for Google. The production from wind and solar facilities fluctuates based on weather patterns.

Golin stated at a February conference organized by the Nuclear Energy Institute in New York City that Google encountered "a very harsh truth: they lacked sufficient capability within their systems to meet the needs of their data centers both in the near future and possibly over an extended period."

On Tuesday, Musk stated that China is constructing substantially more power plants compared to the U.S. He likened China’s rapid increase in power generation to a rocket ascending into orbit, whereas he described America’s progress as stagnant.

Musk’s xAI is utilizing natural gas turbines to assist in powering its Colossus data center located in Memphis. This move has drawn attention from environmental advocates. accused xAI by failing to comply with the Clean Air Act and the permit regulations for “major sources of air pollution” through the operation of gas turbines without employing emission reduction technologies or obtaining necessary permissions.

Utility companies like Dominion Energy informed their investors during recent earnings discussions that they haven’t observed any signs of declining demand from data centers, even though there’s concern within the market that the technology industry may reduce spending due to potential economic downturns. Dominion operates in the biggest data center hub globally, situated in Northern Virginia.

However, Constellation Energy warned that despite robust demand, certain utility projections may be exaggerated since data center developers often seek opportunities across various regions. Constellation operates the most nuclear power stations in the U.S.

“I simply must point out, everyone, that I believe the burden is being overemphasized,” CEO Joe Dominguez stated during the power company’s first-quarter earnings call. “It’s time we hit the brakes.”

Belum ada Komentar untuk "Elon Musk Warns: AI May Hit Power Capacity Limits by Mid-Next Year"

Posting Komentar

Iklan Atas Artikel

Iklan Tengah Artikel 1

Iklan Tengah Artikel 2

Iklan Bawah Artikel