“Data centers are power hungry, but AI is taking power requirements to a new level.”
nuclear option
It’s no secret that AI data centers require enormous amounts of power to keep running.
To meet this burgeoning energy demand, experts are now looking for alternative energy sources. BBC The report also includes small nuclear reactors that could power individual data centers.
“Our industry has to find another source of power,” Digital Realty Chief Technology Officer Chris Sharp told the station.
small and modular
Scientists have been working for years to develop small modular reactors (SMRs) that can provide power on-site, dramatically reducing a company’s dependence on the power grid.
Despite a burgeoning industry dedicated to making it happen, nothing commercially available is yet up and running anywhere in the world. BBC Note.
This is an interesting idea that has led some of the biggest companies in the AI space to invest in it. Job postings from last year suggested that Microsoft is considering rolling out its own SMR plans, with the goal of eventually using his SMR to power its AI data centers. I did.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is also an investor in a nuclear startup called Oklo, which is working on developing self-regulating SMRs. (Altman also notes that A.I. So Since they consume a lot of electricity, innovative energy sources are required. )
Michael Brooke, director of the Center for Nuclear Engineering at Imperial College London, said: “Data centers are power-hungry, but the advent of AI is moving power requirements to a new level.” BBC.
However, it may take some time for companies to begin producing large-scale SMRs that meet these requirements.
“There are about 50 SMR designs,” Bluck added. “The challenge is to standardize production lines and build them in factory-style, repeatable units.”
One major hurdle that still needs to be overcome is regulation. After all, nuclear energy has some obvious risks. According to its official website, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has “engaged in varying degrees of pre-filing activity with several SMR designers over the past several years.”
In 2020, the commission approved the first SMR design developed by an Oregon-based startup called NuScale Power.
But despite the clear momentum behind the idea, it is unclear whether SMR will ultimately be the answer to rapidly growing energy demands. Companies are desperately looking for ways to expand their business now rather than years from now.
SMR details: Microsoft is considering small nuclear reactors as AI training requires a lot of power
