Elon Musk Warns of AI Power and Transformer Shortages by 2025

“I’ve never witnessed a technological advancement as rapid as this.” Although the chip shortage might be resolving, Elon Musk warns that the exponential growth of AI and EVs will lead to electricity and transformer shortages next year.

Speaking in a dial-in Q&A session to conclude the Bosch Connected World conference, the recent nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize discussed topics ranging from self-driving cars to humanoid robots and hinted at Tesla’s upcoming ventures in electric vehicles. However, his primary message to the industry was crystal clear: prioritize the production of clean energy and increase the manufacturing of electrical transformers.

Allowing Musk to express it in his own words, with slight modifications:

“The rise in artificial intelligence compute seems to be doubling every six months. Of course, it can’t sustain such a rapid pace indefinitely, or it would surpass the mass of the universe. But I must say, I’ve never witnessed anything quite like it. The frenzy for chips is surpassing any gold rush in history.”

Embracing the Technological Revolution

I believe we are standing on the brink of perhaps the most significant technological revolution in history. There’s a saying that goes, ‘May you live in interesting times,’ often considered a curse. Well, we’re unquestionably living in the most captivating era. Initially, this thought overwhelmed me, even causing a bit of despondency. I found myself pondering, ‘Will AI dominate us? Will our existence become meaningless?’ However, I’ve come to terms with this question by considering whether I’d rather witness the AI apocalypse or not. My conclusion? I’d prefer to witness it. After all, it won’t be dull.

“The limitations on AI computation are quite foreseeable… A year ago, the scarcity was in chips, particularly neural net chips. Consequently, it was rather easy to anticipate that the subsequent scarcity would involve voltage step-down transformers. These systems require substantial power input. If you’re dealing with 100-300 kilovolts from a utility and it needs to be reduced to six volts, that’s a significant step-down.”

Humorous Insights into AI Infrastructure

My attempt at humor is that you require transformers to power other transformers. You see, in the realm of AI, there’s a component known as a ‘transformer’… It’s a blend of neural networks… Anyway, they’re running low on transformers to operate other transformers.

Following that, the next scarcity will be electricity. There won’t be sufficient electricity available to fuel all the chips. I predict that next year, there will be a shortage of electricity to power all the chips.

“The simultaneous surge in electric cars and AI, both of which rely on electricity and voltage transformers, is generating a significant demand for electrical equipment and power generation.

The notion that the lights in the developed world may start flickering by 2025 due to the extensive training of AIs is quite astonishing. If Musk’s predictions hold true, it emphasizes the urgent necessity for vast quantities of clean energy from diverse sources, starting immediately.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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