AI could gobble up a quarter of all electricity in the U.S. by 2030

Pivot 5
April 18, 2024

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1. AI could gobble up a quarter of all electricity in the U.S. by 2030

AI may consume a quarter of America's power by 2030, according to Arm CEO Rene Has. An IEA Electricity 2024 report suggests that ChatGPT requests consume nearly 10 times more electricity than a Google search. This could lead to an increase to 25% of the US' current 4% power grid usage from AI datacenters.

The AI industry's power demands are expected to increase tenfold, with the cost of power having nearly doubled since 1990. The US Energy Information Administration states that the current trend is "hardly very sustainable."

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2. New York and other states are using AI to hunt down wealthy remote workers and demand more tax

New York is using AI-generated letters to challenge wealthy remote workers moving to low-tax states, aiming to address staff shortages in the state's tax department. The state reported an increase in audits in 2022, but a decrease in auditors. The tax department is sending hundreds of thousands of AI-generated letters, primarily to wealthy remote workers or those requiring a change in tax residency.

The letters could help beat staff shortages, although it is unclear if this is part of the reason for their implementation. The number of New York-based auditors declined by 5% to under 200 in the same year due to tight budgets. The tax department is using sophisticated technology to determine the best audit candidates, focusing on wealthy individuals who have relocated from high-tax states to low-tax states.

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3. Microsoft invests $1.5 billion in AI firm G42, overseen by UAE's national security adviser

Microsoft has invested $1.5 billion in UAE-based AI firm G42, overseen by the country's national security adviser, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The deal was developed in close consultation with both the UAE and U.S. governments. G42, based in Abu Dhabi, runs data centers in the Middle East and has increasingly identified itself as an AI firm.

Microsoft's president, Brad Smith, will join G42's board of directors. The two companies will work to bring digital infrastructure to countries where G42 has established a presence in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa. G42 has faced spying allegations and claims it could have gathered genetic material secretly from Americans for the Chinese government.

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4. Alphabet X’s Bellwether harnesses AI to help predict natural disasters

Alphabet

Alphabet X's Bellwether project aims to use AI to predict natural disasters like wildfire and flooding. The project, which aims to understand and anticipate changes across the planet, is part of Google's moonshot factory X. The team has harnessed recent advances in machine learning and solid engineering to re-think the process. The project is set to be used by the United States National Guard's Defense Innovation Unit to improve response times and reduce damage to human life and property.

The team has developed two tools: one to forecast wildfire risk up to five years in the future and another to help first responders identify critical infrastructure in the aftermath of disasters. The partnership with the National Guard could prove a significant validation of Google's work in predicting natural disasters.

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5. Intel uses Intel uses in-house AI tools to optimize SoC layouts from 6 weeks, to just 'minutes'

Intel has developed an augmented intelligence tool that helps system-on-chip designers quickly determine the optimal placement of heat-sensitive sensors on their client processors. The tool, developed by Intel's Augmented Intelligence team, helps engineers factor thousands of variables into future silicon designs, reducing the time and effort required to determine the location of thermal hotspots.

The tool is used on the Intel Core™ Ultra mobile processor family and will be applied to future client products like Lunar Lake and its successors. While augmented intelligence is not replacing actual engineers, it is combining computational machine learning with human engineering expertise.

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