Artificial intelligence has been a major factor in the paradigm shift in the computer industry during the last few years. When the topic comes up, people immediately think of Microsoft and OpenAI, particularly in light of the former’s multibillion-dollar investment to prolong their collaboration. Both businesses have indeed accomplished amazing things. While we can only speculate as to how much more may be accomplished if both businesses maintain utilizing AI to the fullest extent possible, there is a serious problem with the resources needed to keep the momentum going. And that’s where Microsoft is eyeing shifting towards Nuclear Energy
It appears that Microsoft has realized this problem, and the business is now focusing on nuclear power, as per a recent Wall Street Journal article. The excessive demands and needs of AI are nothing new to us, particularly about the amount of water and power it uses.
Amidst local water supply problems, Windows Copilot and ChatGPT may use enough electricity by 2027 to power a small country for a year. It may surprise you to learn that each time you ask a question, Microsoft and OpenAI utilize as much cooling energy equivalent to a bottle of water.
Microsoft’s investigation into a different power source for its AI projects will enable the business to fully explore the potential of the technology while also making sure that it can maintain the energy needed to accomplish this and cut down on carbon emissions.
Additionally, it’s said that Microsoft is training LLMs right now to expedite the nuclear project regulatory procedure. Microsoft will have unrestricted access to nuclear energy to power its AI programs if it can pull off this accomplishment.
Running Cost & Agreements With Open AI
To “maintain the data centers that house the Microsoft Cloud and AI infrastructure,” Microsoft looks to be focusing on utilizing microreactors and Small Modular Reactors, which are less expensive to build and run than bigger nuclear reactors.
Artificial intelligence models require a massive amount of processing power to run; analyses show that ChatGPT could cost up to $700,000 a day to run because of the high server costs. According to the job description, Microsoft sees nuclear energy as a workable way to meet this growing energy demand.
It is known that Microsoft and OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, struck a $10 billion deal under which Microsoft supplied cloud services to enable OpenAI’s models to function. Additionally, Microsoft introduced an AI-powered search tool earlier this year by integrating OpenAI’s technology into its Bing search engine.
But Why Nuclear Energy?
To put it simply, nuclear energy is just another name for energy derived from atoms. A large amount of energy found in atoms can be captured and converted into electrical power. Nuclear fission or nuclear fusion are two ways to accomplish this. Generally, superheated radioactive material is mixed with water to create steam plumes, which are then used to power turbines.
It is frequently promoted as a substitute for conventional fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide, as the main byproduct of nuclear power generation is water vapor. Some nations, though, are dubious.
Compared to other options, nuclear energy can power the entire planet with no carbon emissions, but it can also be quite dangerous. Examples of nuclear power stations that experienced meltdowns due to either human mistakes or natural calamities are Fukushima and, more recently, Chornobyl. Due to radiation releases that cause cancer, Chornobyl in Ukraine is still radioactive and extremely harmful for visitors. Certain parts of Fukushima are still uninhabitable. Another issue arising from the use of nuclear power is that of radioactive waste.
The only option available to us at this time is to bury this garbage inside silos and deep bunkers, where it will remain radioactive for thousands of years. The United States generates two thousand tons of radioactive waste annually, and this amount is expected to increase as more nations come to view nuclear energy as a potent substitute for fossil fuels that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, including coal.
Numerous nations, including the United Kingdom, are investigating “mini” nuclear reactors to meet their small-scale energy requirements. Microsoft’s involvement here may aid in the company’s efforts to reach its 2040 target of “net zero” carbon emissions.
Read | 5 Best Antivirus Software For PC in 2023
Rough Timeline Of Microsoft’s Development Programme
Microsoft recently pledged to step up its efforts to use renewable energy sources and cut emissions to power data centers. The organization has set lofty targets to become carbon-negative, water-positive, and waste-free by 2030.
With its partnership with Helion, which has intricate plans in place to begin producing nuclear energy via nuclear fusion by 2028, the corporation appears to be moving forward with its goals. The company is currently hiring for a nuclear technology program manager, whose duties will include developing a reactor strategy intended to “power the data centers that the Microsoft Cloud and AI reside on.”
Although using nuclear energy looks like a reliable approach for Microsoft to meet its demands for AI power, the business will need to exercise caution to make sure that more issues than answers don’t arise in the future.
Final Take
In conclusion, Microsoft’s bold move to use nuclear energy to power its AI operations is a big step toward technological advances that are both sustainable and scalable. When you combine cutting-edge technology with nuclear power, you get an interesting story about innovation and concern for the environment. What do you think about this fusion of clean energy and technology? Share your take in the comment section below!