Data centers powering artificial intelligence could use more electricity than entire cities

CNBC ^ | 11/24/2024 | Spencer Kimball

[montag813]

A big reason is how stupidly inefficient NVDIA GPUs are for the task of AI processing, and the way GPT and other LLMs operate is also wildly inefficient. Large AI companies are poised to be challenged by leaner upstarts.

[montag813]

In the book, The Adolescence of P-1 (1977), the AI got so sophisticated that it surreptitiously invaded facilities and accumulated resources. I first read it way back when we were still using monitor printers and CRT terminals with green text.

1966's Colossus essentially predicted SkyNet. Excellent film made from it in 1970.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Better yet, let’s use the shrieks of leftists freezing to death in their homes to make power: “What have we done? Where’s my power? Where’s my natural gas? Everything USED to work well in this country. Why doesn’t anything work any more? What the hell went wrong?”

Of course, they’ll ask those questions without a hint of self-awareness.

[jeffersondem]

“Also , some AI data center owners are planning on utilizing Small Modular Reactors(SMRs) at the sites to provide power directly.”

I've read of this. Do you have any insights on how small reactors will handle spent fuels and how they will be secured 24/7 to prevent bad actors from gaining access and behaving badly?

[meatloaf]

Each reactor has coupons of the same steel inside that was used to fabricate reactor.

A coupon is removed and tested during each refueling to determine if any change has occurred that would compromise the reactor integrity.

[meatloaf]

Spent fuel eventually is removed from the pool. Instead of going to Nevada and being stored underground as previously planned, it’s now stored in a dry cask on site.

[meatloaf]

They don’t own TMI. They signed a contract to pay for restoring it to operation and buying the power.

[meatloaf]

I just confirmed one design was certified after four years by the NRC.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Which I get at least a couple times a month even with Windoze 11. As soon as I can figure out how, I’m installing Linux and making it a dual boot system with Linux as the default.

[jonrick46]

The NSA Data Center in Utah is a huge storage system which store top secret data for American Intelligence. To cool the electronics it uses about 1.7 million gallons of water per day to prevent overheating. This is the equivalent of the daily water usage of 6,000–7,000 people.

Here is the next generation AI version:

[unlearner]

It’s strange how close to reality “The Matrix” is becoming.

Humans as an alternative power source when the Sun gets blocked isn’t realistic.

But human brain cells on a chip might be a more energy-efficient way to run AI code.

https://www.lifewire.com/brain-cells-could-replace-silicon-chips-heres-why-that-could-save-energy-7252947

Looks like the future may be a dystopian horror story worse than “The Matrix”.

[jonrick46]

I fixed it for you: "Dirty power is power that is not Regular which means that its wave form is very inconsistent. In a circuit with capacitors, increasing frequency leads to a decrease in capacitive reactance, allowing more current to flow through the capacitor and into the circuit where circuit damage will occur. This is one reason not to leave any electronics on upon a power outage. When power is restored, the initial resistance to the load causes the frequency to spike high and knock out the semiconductors in the circuits.

When the power generation for an electrical grid cannot meet the demand, it reduces frequency. See it as a car going up a hill. So, when power is restored, it is like a car going up a hill. For a transformer, efficiency decreases rapidly with falling frequency. For household usage, transformers running directly on mains frequency are only used for linear power supplies which are found in things like audiophile level power amplifiers, so your Class-A amplifier may get even hotter and be more vulnerable to the attending voltage surges.

When we experienced that "Bomb Cyclone," I failed to disconnect power to our flat screen TV. Even with the TV off, circuits are still running. When power was restored, I almost had a panic attack when erratic lines ran through the picture. Lucky, the problem was the result of our cable feed and not the TV.

[hecticskeptic]

The electricity consumption of data centers has exploded....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I bet it is but then there are lots of other electrical requirements that are exploding.... I’ve been watching electrical loads climb rapidly over the past 6 months and some of my customers are certainly hedging their bets. Pulp and paper plants for example are doing whatever they can to get as much as they can out of their power and recovery boilers.

Just the other day, I happened to see this piece from NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation)...It’s a sobering assessment of where things are at with the grid and the bottom line is that there is serious risk of blackouts if we face any kind of significant cold weather. “Electricity supplies are at risk from freezing temperatures that threaten reliable operation of BPS [bulk power systems] generators, fuel supply issues for natural-gas-fired generation, and wind and solar resource energy limitations....” One specific issue is that some of the natural gas pipelines simply don’t have the capacity....

I for one have made it a mission to have backup sources of energy.... wood stove, electrical generators and after reading this report, one can only conclude that this is a smart thing to do.

[Pontiac]

Thanks for the education

Electrical Engineer?

[power2]

Good questions Jeffersondem. I have not heard about what type of security or safety measures are/will be utilized for the SMRs. If I run across anything I will pass it along.

[jonrick46]

Electronic Engineering Technology . . .

[Texan4Life]

"AI Jesus" avatar tests man’s faith in machines and the divine

https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-chatbot-jesus-lucerne-catholic-66268027fbcf4b48972d1d62541f0b16

After the two-month run of the “Deus in Machina” exhibit at Peter’s Chapel starting in late August, some 900 conversations from visitors –- some came more than once –- were transcribed anonymously. Those behind the project said it was largely a success: Visitors often came out moved or deep in thought, and found it easy to use.

A small sign invited visitors to enter a confessional -– chosen for its intimacy –- and below a lattice screen across which penitent believers would usually speak with a priest, a green light signaled the visitor’s turn to speak, and a red one came on when “AI Jesus” on a computer screen on the other side was responding.

[linMcHlp]

What you wrote:

"most management types are not the type who are ready to accept that they could be wrong"

Correct