We’re Going to Need Fusion
The equation is simple. We need bigger and better AI, this needs more power, more power needs energy sources.
That cool graphic novel style hero shot you made of yourself using a generative AI? Every pixel is a gram of carbon dioxide the result of a the fiery incineration of coal mixed with oxygen. Water boiled, spun a turbine, turned a magnet through a coil, shot electricity through some metal wires, and eventually was used to do a bunch of calculators that warmed up a circuit that needed to be cooled so it didn’t melt. Yes, these technologies will get more efficient, but then we’ll just want to do more with them.
That’s why we’re going to need fusion.
Solar might satisfy computing’s needs for the next few days, but soon enough, we’re going to want to do more. Images? Videos? Mind-based simulations with endless complexities. The processors for it will need gigawatt power supplies.
This may be the start of the grey goo scenario, but between power hungry cryto and generative AI, we’re going to need to explore more energy sources to do crazier calculations with larger models.
However, more likely, is that AI will be turned to look at more efficiency and to work with the resources that are available. The result is going to be a race for more processing per watt and that regular computers will have super computing capability.
