Leading AI experts have met with top US officials at the White House on Thursday to discuss a critical issue: how to sustainably power the expanding AI sector. Among the tech executives anticipated to attend were Dario Amodei of Anthropic, Ruth Porat of Google, and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. This meeting addressed how the public and private sectors can work together to handle AI’s growing energy demand while ensuring that the US maintains its leadership in this rapidly developing field. It is the first formal discussion on the topic between leaders in the field of AI and White House officials.
The growth of AI has raised questions about how much energy it uses. An individual ChatGPT question consumes around ten times the amount of electricity compared to a standard Google search, according to the International Energy Agency. Achieving a balance between the expansion of AI and sustainability has become a priority, as the AI industry is predicted to require ten times more energy by 2026 than it does today. Furthermore, Goldman Sachs predicts that by 2030, data center power consumption will rise by 160% due to AI, which might put strain on the US power infrastructure, which is already moving away from fossil fuels.
The conference has been attended by senior Biden administration officials, such as Gina Raimondo, the secretary of commerce, and Jennifer Granholm, the secretary of energy, to examine potential remedies. As part of its larger climate and energy aims, the administration aggressively encouraged sustainable AI development and looked for methods to address energy concerns, even though President Biden and Vice President Harris were not anticipated to attend.
Altman, who has invested in the renewable energy firm Exowatt, pushed for the development of AI infrastructure in the US, encompassing semiconductor production and power generation. He has made a strong case for preserving America’s leadership in artificial intelligence while pointing out that other countries particularly those with autocratic regimes are making significant investments in the field.
The gathering expanded on past initiatives launched by the Biden administration in July 2023 to guarantee ethical AI research, including requirements for external testing of AI systems and unambiguous labelling of information produced by AI. It was a big day for Altman because he and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates were both featured on a special ABC program about artificial intelligence, which was hosted by Oprah Winfrey.