Analysis: Historical Context Shows AI Energy Consumption Predictions May Be Overstated
By
hirpslop
Hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, baked to perfection. Worth every minute at the bakery.
Summary
This article challenges alarmist predictions about AI's energy consumption, arguing that similar dire forecasts were made about internet and computing technologies in the past that proved inaccurate. The author references historical examples like a 1999 Forbes article predicting massive energy demands from personal computers, suggesting current AI energy consumption predictions may similarly overstate the problem. The piece advocates against using these predictions as justification to slow the transition to renewable energy.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledPredictions of this kind have been made ever since the emergence of the Internet as a central part of modern life, often tied to claims and counterclaims about the transition to renewable energy.
Back in 1999 let alone AI, Forbes magazine ran a piece headlined, Dig more coal — the PCs are coming.
It has been estimated that AI will consume anything from 9 to 25 per cent of all US electricity by 2032.
And it's not a reason to slow transition to renewables
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