Bitcoin’s Dirty History Offers a Lesson for AI’s Future
A lot of money and energy is expended on the cryptocurrency, but AI could be even more power hungry.
AI frontier.
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Surging interest in artificial intelligence systems will add further strain to global electricity grids with the potential to rival the massive energy consumption of Bitcoin. Thankfully, the premier cryptocurrency has shown us a way to mitigate the impact.
A doubling of data-center revenue at Nvidia Corp. last quarter shows that demand for generative applications like ChatGPT hasn’t yet hit its peak. The US chipmaker is the key provider of shovels in this AI goldrush, but those processors are neither cheap nor lean. Its latest flagship, the GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip, which is the size of a postcard, draws up to 1,000 watts — equivalent to a portable heater.