Energy Needs of AI & Cryptocurrencies Lead Big Tech to Embrace Nuclear Power
www.democracynow.org
Tech companies are turning to nuclear to fulfill the skyrocketing energy needs of artificial intelligence, with major corporations like Amazon, Google and Microsoft announcing plans to invest in nuclear power. But the speed at which energy needs are growing may not align with the construction or revitalization of nuclear infrastructure, says Alex de Vries, who researches the unintended consequences of AI and cryptocurrencies. There may be a “mismatch between the needs of tech companies today” and the future, while nuclear power continues to carry the same safety risks that led to its phasing out in the first place.

November 19, 2024

  • Sibbo@sopuli.xyz
    122·
    3 hours ago

    And they are surely paying for the thousands of years of waste storage necessary?

    • spicehoarder@lemm.eeEnglish
      101·
      3 hours ago

      When a radioactive rock is stored in a cave somewhere instead of pumping the atmosphere full of CO2: 🤬🤬🤬

      • MrMakabar@slrpnk.netEnglish
        21·
        1 hour ago

        When a radioactive roch is stored in a cave somewhere instead of stopping to produce crypto currencies: 🤬🤬🤬

    • oce 🐆@jlai.lu
      1·
      2 hours ago

      Wouldn’t it be an obvious part of the price they will pay for the electricity? The electricity producer or whatever intermediate in charge of the waste, will bill its work for waste storage, and it will end up on the bill of the energy consumer. What am I missing?

      • metaStatic@kbin.earth
        1·
        59 minutes ago

        over half a century of fear mongering from the nuclear industry itself to upsell safety systems