Google invests in mini nuclear reactors to power the AI revolution. Do you think the importance of artificial intelligence is understood worldwide?

[gayesblog]

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/15/google-buy-nuclear-power-ai-datacentres-kairos-power

[abc3643]

Well, while AI is part of this, the mere fact that the world is generating and maintaining new data at an accelerating rate is causing two problems at these data warehouses being created:

1. Cooling

2. Power consumption

Basically, you need electricity to run all these servers, but the electric current generates heat called Ohmic heating. (It's how an electric stove or oven works.) The problem with the heat is that heat adversely affects both the flow of electricity because heat increased electrical resistance and the heat also adversely affects the lifespan of electrical components. So, this means you need even more electricity to run fans and air conditioners to keep the heat down. Of course, the heat has to go somewhere, so it goes into the environment thus exacerbating global warming.

The problem with nuclear reactors, while they are "green energy", they:

1. Are dangerous regarding radiation.

2. Have radioactive waste that must be safely stored in a way that prevents leakage into the environment.

3. And just as bad as fossil fuels, nuclear reactors run on a fuel - radioactive isotopes - which have to be mined and will ultimately run out.

So, these micronuclear reactors are really just a stopgap measure.

Ultimately, there needs to be a new way to store and transmit data that consumes a lot less electricity - electricity which can be created in a renewable way. Also, it might help if they were collecting less data...

[The_Confusion]

That's a lengthy way of saying that computers consume electricity, and radioactive isotopes have to be mined.

The uranium which has been harvest up to now is enough to last for well over a 100 years at current consumption rates, even if it was the sole source of grid power in the world.

[abc3643]

@The_Confusion "Current consumption rates" are never flat. Furthermore, while the uranium may go down, the amount of waste goes up.

And, no, it's not just that the machines use electricity; there's more to it due to the physical effects of all that electricity. I remember in 2009 working in a lab filled with electronics and we had to have a large $5000 industrial floor fan running the whole time to cool that room.

Anyway, that's besides the point. Forgetting about the nuclear fuel and even the electricity, there is a more fundamental problem with all this data. There really needs to be significant technological advancement involving the storage and and transmission of all this new data being generated. I suspect quantum computing will help with that, but also more optical engineering because all those electronic wires are a problem on so many different levels, some of which is nanoscale like at the chip level, EM interference from the EM fields generated by current in the chip adversely impacting other currents in the chip.

[lightbulb27]

Nope and it's frightening.

Think about how lame out technology is. A human brain is really powerful and all we need is a little bread and butter. But these AI computers need a nuclear power plant to stay alive.

we got a long ways to go.

its a bit... scary. whom is training these things, and why, what will they do, whats the limits.

[TurtlePoop]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/QheoYw1BKJ4

This is one of the best movies I've ever seen. Check it out. Johnny's brain is uploaded to a super computer, and then uploaded to the Internet. Once on the Internet, he can do anything. As usual, everyone assumes the worst and sets out to destroy him. They overlooked the fact that he was healing the Earth, giving sight to the blind, and fixing paralyzed people. Once they succeeded in killing him, they realized how badly they fucked up.

Is AI a good thing? I don't know and neither does Elon. But he uses it in his Tesla's.

As for the nuclear reactors, regardless of AI, we sure can't count on wind or solar. These mega companies just want to generate their own power. Green people should like this.

[TheSpaceGnome]

You can't actually import a mind into a computer. Thats just unscientific nonsense.

Also solar works great, and nuclear power plants have too many problems with radioactive waste/fallout, and are thus not a viable option at this point.

[FreyaRed]

AI is a hype fueled by Nvidia and ATI who want sell their chips to most expensive price. I see strong parallels to the crypto currency hype few years back.
Any discussion is irrelevant until AI does something useful like driving trucks autonomously from A to B or developing new meds.

[Likes2drive]

Sounds like the beginning of Skynet and now they’re going to use nuclear power for it, it’s like we’re getting closer to judgment day

[jshm2]

Meh, likely a bullshit, tax write off - like the "Apple car".

The "reactors" are allegedly going to be produced in 2030 (if ever) and there is no whitepaper whether they will actually work, let alone safely. The AI side of things is a different matter altogether.

Google is way behind the competition in AI. So headlines like these are just bunkum to keep the stakeholders happy.

[andreasderjuengere]

I'd rather say that NATURAL intelligence has become under-rated in this mad century.

Present humankind is cutting down the tree that we all sit on.

But -hey - 'we' still can smear around on our handphone screens and stuff while we sit in the mud :D

[NamerOfStars]

Insofar as they think simple generative programs actually ARE AIs, no, they don't. Few understand it at all.

[DrPepper12]

No. People don't have a clue what it is or what it is not. They can't forecast winners and losers either. Much of what is touted as AI is not in fact AI.

[NathanDavis]

it is mostly feared and fueled as propaganda... that's for sure

[NathanDavis]

but it is also true, that it's going to, and already is creating a whole lot of trouble and problematic issues here and there

and that's just like any other technology out there

[TheSpaceGnome]

AI isn't important, it's a fad thats detrimental to economics, social lives, and human skill honing.

[The_Confusion]

I don't know. What are the carbon emissions of ai?

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't even think that'd be possible. Granted I'm not an expert on this. And the nuclear material isn't weapons grade. But I think that'd be illegal still.

[LiamJHayden]

That sounds like the plot for an apocalyptic movie.

[chris_987]

Hell no, most people think abortion is the most important issue of our time.

[purplepoppy]

AI and nuclear reactors, what could go wrong.

[abc3643]

I think that should be the epitaph on the tombstone for the human species!

[dragoblack]

I think companies overestimate the capabilities of ai and their consumers

[pinkCadillac2]

It's a good start

[WhitneySnow]

I think AI is a worldwide phenomenon

[ArnieC]

Yes, I think so.

[SlightlyMental]

AI is not important.

[Anonymous]

AI plus nuclear. What could go wrong?

[MarjorieJ]

Not really

[Anonymous]

No I don’t. I am fearful of AI.

[HeartShapedHaze]

Somewhat

[In_Trance]

Yeah

[RedInnocent69]

No, it isn’t.