AI is in need of an energy breakthrough to evolve

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI claims that AI needs the help of clean energy to prosper

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes that long-awaited nuclear fusion could be the silver bullet that solves artificial intelligence's voracious energy hunger and paves the way for an AI revolution. When that revolution does happen, it may not be as shocking as he previously claimed. Altman discussed AI's expanding demands earlier this week at a Bloomberg event held outside of the annual World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland. The CEO stated that powerful new AI models would likely consume significantly more energy than previously thought. The CEO claimed that addressing the energy shortage would necessitate a "breakthrough" in nuclear fusion technology.

Altman remarked during the Davos event that working on clean energy and nuclear fusion is the only way to go forward, as it is the inspiration that the feel is looking for. Though some AI proponents believe insights derived from advanced models will help battle climate change in creative ways, a growing body of research reveals that the initial energy necessary to train these complicated models is taking its toll. Altman and Microsoft are both investors in Helion, a business working on developing a nuclear fusion device, which is regarded as the Holy Grail of sustainable energy. Fortunately, solar energy is already the cheapest source of electricity in history; the world simply requires better batteries to store it.