Bill Gates says we don't have to worry about AI energy use

Bill Gates argues AI will offset its own energy usage by improving global energy efficiency, despite warnings on rising power consumption.

: Bill Gates believes AI will balance its energy demands by enhancing global electricity efficiency, alleviating concerns about increased consumption. Speaking in London, Gates pointed out that AI could reduce energy usage by over 6%. Despite these advancements, he warns that meeting net zero emissions by 2050 is unlikely.

Bill Gates, speaking at a London event for his Breakthrough Energy venture fund, downplayed concerns about AI's energy consumption, emphasizing AI's potential to significantly improve global energy efficiency. He highlighted that while datacenters could add up to 6% to the energy load, AI could drive reductions greater than 6%, effectively balancing out its energy demands.

He acknowledged that AI activities, like running queries on ChatGPT, consume substantially more energy than services like Google searches, leading to concerns about rising data center emissions. Nonetheless, Gates pointed to the willingness of tech companies to invest in green energy and technologies to mitigate these effects, as seen in Google's use of DeepMind technology to boost data center cooling efficiency by 40%.

Despite promising advancements, Gates warned that the increasing global demand for electricity makes it unlikely to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, suggesting a delay of 10 to 15 years. The Breakthrough Energy group, which includes investors like Jeff Bezos and Jack Ma, continues to support over 100 companies working on sustainable energy solutions.

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