#ai-energy-demand

#ai-energy-demand

The AI revolution has a power problem. Training GPT-4 required as much electricity as 10,000 U.S. homes use in a year. Multiply that by thousands of models being trained simultaneously, plus billions of daily queries. The result? A data center energy boom reshaping power generation. Facilities drawing 100+ megawatts each, with some hyperscale campuses approaching 1 gigawatt (the equivalent of small cities).

Even if AI turns out not to be as much of an energy hog as people are making it out to be, it could still spell out trouble for power grids across the US. Tech companies are already burning through increasing amounts of electricity to train and run new AI models. And they're asking for a lot more electricity as they try to outcompete each other. That rising demand is already starting to reshape the energy system, with utilities scrambling to build out new gas plants and pipelines.