this post was submitted on 21 May 2025
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We did the math on AI’s energy footprint. Here’s the story you haven’t heard. (www.technologyreview.com)
submitted 1 day ago by kalkulat@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Absolutely needed: to get high efficiency for this beast ... as it gets better, we'll become too dependent.

"all of this growth is for a new technology that’s still finding its footing, and in many applications—education, medical advice, legal analysis—might be the wrong tool for the job,,,"

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[–] AbnormalHumanBeing@lemmy.abnormalbeings.space 12 points 1 day ago (10 children)

I found this article from last year: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61364

Our preliminary estimates suggest that annual electricity use from cryptocurrency mining probably represents from 0.6% to 2.3% of U.S. electricity consumption.

The wide range should not be too surprising, it's a mess to keep track of, especially with the current administration. Since then, with Trump immediately pledging to support the "industry", I can only imagine it consuming even more now.

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago (9 children)

That's a huge amount of electricity even at it's lowest. Are they building the AI to crypto mine is also another question. I could see these sneaky bastards combining the two somehow.

[–] Loduz_247@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (5 children)

As for OpenAI and Microsoft, they're betting on energy with a company called Helion Energy. They say they'll have it ready by 2028. Whether they'll achieve that? We'll see.

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I looked that up and it's a fusion reactor, apparently, from what I can figure out from their nigh-illegible website.

...[reads further] ...

It skips the steam cycle. That's fucking cool. I really hope they get it working.

[–] eleitl@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They won't.

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Care to elaborate?

[–] vrighter@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 5 hours ago

there's lots of handwavy things. They even said they "discovered new physics" to explain some disappointing (perfectly predictable, by other established nuclear physicists) results. "Oh the physics equation was wrong, we just need to make everything 25% bigger".

Also, the emitted radiation levels will be insane once it's scaled up

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