AI supercomputers are getting bigger each year — and one study projects they could need as much power as a city by 2030

AI supercomputers are getting bigger each year — and one study projects they could need as much power as a city by 2030

Companies like Jensen Huang's Nvidia are busy investing in supercomputers to power future AI.Patrick T. Fallon / AFPThe future of AI depends on building more powerful supercomputers.New research suggests how gargantuan these supercomputers could be by the end of the decade.Epoch AI projects that a top supercomputer in 2030 could need as much power needed for up to 9 million homes.Silicon Valley needs bigger and better supercomputers to get bigge…

‘High Energy Use of AI Puts Pressure on Clean Energy Transition’, experts warn

AI models consume far more energy than traditional technologies, AI Week hears Generative AI searches use 10x more energy than standard queries Global data centre energy consumption forecast to hit 690 TWh by 2026 – Microsoft “AI avatars are powerful but problematic,” panellists caution The global boom in artificial intelligence (AI) is prompting some countries to delay their energy transition plans for fear of missing out on the economic potent…

Let’s not panic about AI’s energy use just yet

Should we be worried about how much energy computers and AI use?

AI Energy Demand Can Keep Fossil Fuels Alive, Tech Backers Promise World’s Two Biggest Oil Producers

Just before the November 2024 election, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released its flagship annual report on global energy markets – and the agency’s forecast suggested a new era was dawning. Over 150 years of growth in demand for fossil fuels has nearly reached its end, the IEA’s forecasts showed for a second year in a row. Fossil fuel demand will peak by the end of this decade, the organization affirmed, concluding that clean energy li…

In a report published on 10 April, the International Energy Agency (IEA) is drawing the alarm: the data centres behind the AIs could become one of the world's most energy-intensive households. Their consumption, estimated at 460 TWh in 2024, could exceed 1,000 TWh by 2030, more than that of Japan. The AIA requires huge data centres to operate. According to an IEA report published on 10 April, their consumption could increase from 460 terawatt ho…

AI Supercomputers May Run Into Power Constraints by 2030

While companies building artificial intelligence (AI)-powered supercomputers are likely to be able to get the chips and capital they need, they may run into power constraints by 2030, according to research institute Epoch AI.  “If the observed trends continue, the leading AI supercomputer in June 2030 will need 2 million AI chips, cost $200 billion and require 9GW of power,” the company said in a paper posted Wednesday (April 23). “Historical AI…