How Big Tech plans to power AI's growing energy demand
The global boom of data centers, fueled by growing digitalization and generative artificial intelligence (AI), is pushing tech giants to consider novel energy solutions. These include nuclear power, liquid cooling for data centers, and quantum computing. The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts a boom in data center investments in the coming years. This expected growth has raised concerns over a potential spike in electricity demand and the environmental impact of AI.
Data centers: The backbone of modern cloud computing
Data centers, the backbone of today's cloud computing and AI applications, are eating up more and more energy. Giampiero Frisio, President of Electrification at Swiss multinational ABB, told CNN how much the company's data center business has grown. He predicted a growth rate of over 24% in 2024 with the increasing demand for AI. Frisio stressed on energy efficiency and proposed liquid cooling as a feasible option for data centers.
Big Tech's shift toward nuclear energy
Recently, tech giants Microsoft, Google, and Amazon bagged multi-billion dollar nuclear energy deals. This is part of their plan to fulfill the increasing energy needs of generative AI models. The generative AI boom has also prompted a quest for more efficient data center cooling solutions, especially liquid cooling. French power-equipment maker Schneider Electric has taken a controlling stake (for $850 million) in Motivair Corp., a US-based liquid cooling specialist for high-performance computing.
Quantum computing: A sustainable solution for AI
Raj Hazra, CEO of Quantinuum, the world's largest integrated quantum computing company, spoke about the challenges the generative AI boom presents. He pointed out sustainability and responsibility as two key issues. Hazra stressed that quantum computing is the key to tackling these challenges. He also mentioned that a diverse set of businesses and strategic investors have expressed interest in Quantinuum, which recently raised around $300 million in its latest equity funding round.
