I-Google ne-Microsoft Bet on Nuclear Power to Fuel AI Growth

Ngokusabalala kwe-Artificial Intelligence, sisele nombuzo wokuthi singabusebenzisa kanjani lobu buchwepheshe obudinga amandla.

Ochwepheshe nabangabazayo ngokufanayo bebelokhu bebuza umbuzo ofanayo isikhathi eside manje: Sizowenza kanjani amandla adingekayo ukuze kunyuke ukusetshenziswa kwe-AI?

Kucishe kufane no-1955 u-Doc Brown ku-movie ethi "Back to the Future" ebuza uMarty ngokungakholwa ukuthi, "Iphuzu elilodwa lamagigawathi angamashumi amabili nanye?? UScott Omkhulu!... ngizowenza kanjani lolo hlobo lwamandla, ngeke kwenzeke, ngeke.”

Njengamanje, izikhungo zedatha ezinkulu ezisebenzisa amanani amakhulu kagesi zibeka izidingo ezinzima kugridi kagesi, futhi abasebenzisi be-AI bakhokha inani elikhulu ukuze basebenzise imishini ukuze bakhiqize umbhalo, izithombe, nevidiyo.

Ukucabanga ngekusasa le-AI kwakusho ukucabanga ngezikhungo zedatha ezinkulu, amamayela amaphaneli elanga, izinkulungwane zama-air conditioner, kanye nezikweletu ezinkulu zamandla.

Kodwa kunendlela engcono, futhi iyakhazimula: amandla enuzi.

Amandla enuzi amandla ahlanzekile akhiqizwa inqubo ebizwa ngokuthi i-nuclear fission, ngokuvamile esebenzisa i-uranium, enemisebe eminingi. Ongoti bathi ingcono kuneminye imithombo yamandla ngoba ikhiqiza ugesi omningi ongakhiqizi isisi esingcolisa umoya, okwenza ibe luhlaza futhi ingangeni emvelweni uma iqhathaniswa nezimbiwa phansi.

Amandla enuzi aphinde anikeze amandla athembekile, aqhubekayo, ngokungafani neminye imithombo evuselelekayo, njengomoya noma ilanga, encike esimweni sezulu.

Uma kubhekwa izinzuzo zawo namandla ahlanzekile, amandla enuzi asetshenziswa ngokuyinhloko ezindaweni eziphehla ugesi futhi asetshenziselwa ukunika amandla imikhumbi-ngwenya kanye nabathwali bezindiza kwezempi.

Manje, ekuqhubekeleni phambili okuhle, inkampani engumzali ye-Google i-Alphabet isayine isivumelwano sokusebenzisa iziphehlisi ze-nuclear ukunika amandla izidingo zayo ze-AI, ivuma ukuthenga isamba esingamamegawathi angu-500 wamandla e-Alameda, isiqalisi samandla enuzi esizinze eCalifornia i-Kairos Power.

Kuleli hlobo, i-Kairos Power yagqama emshinini wayo wokubonisa e-Tennessee, iphrojekthi yokuqala yase-US ethuthukisiwe yokwamukela imvume yokwakha evela kuKhomishana Yezokulawula Zenuzi yase-US.

Ngaphansi kwesivumelwano, i-Google ihlela ukuthola indawo yokuqala yokuphehla amandla ku-inthanethi ngo-2030, okulandelwa ukuthunyelwa okwengeziwe kwe-reactor ngo-2035.

I-Google inethemba lokuthi isivumelwano, sisebenzisa amandla avela kuma-multiple small modular reactors (SMRs), sizohlinzeka ngesixazululo sekhabhoni ephansi ezikhungweni zedatha ezilambele amandla.

Lesi simemezelo silandela isivumelwano phakathi kweMicrosoft nenkampani yamandla kagesi i-Constellation ngenyanga edlule esizovula kabusha esinye seziphehlimandla zenuzi e-Three Mile Island yasePennsylvania ukuze sinikeze amandla izikhungo zedatha zeMicrosoft.

Iphrojekthi yeMicrosoft, eyaziwa ngeCrane Clean Energy Center, kulindeleke ukuthi ixhumeke ku-inthanethi ngo-2028, kusho inkampani. Kulindeleke ukuthi inikeze igridi engaphezu kuka-800 MW.

Ngonyaka odlule, njengengxenye yemizamo yokunciphisa ukukhishwa kwegesi ebamba ukushisa, i-Google yathuthukisa iphrojekthi ye-geothermal nomthuthukisi we-Fervo Energy enikeza amandla ezikhungweni zayo zedatha e-Nevada.

Njengoba ukukhishwa kwayo kwegesi ebamba ukushisa kukhuphuke ngo-48% phakathi kuka-2019 no-2023 , i-Google ikhathazekile ngokuqondakalayo ukuthi ubuchwepheshe bayo bunomthelela kuphela ekungcoleni nasekufudumaleni komhlaba futhi manje ihlose ukufinyelela ekukhishweni okuphelele kwe-net zero ngo-2030, isebenzisa izikhungo zayo zedatha kanye nezikhungo zehhovisi zisebenzisa i-24. /7 amandla angenayo i-carbon.

Ngokombiko we-Quartz, “ukusesha kwe-Google okukodwa kusebenzisa amahora kagesi angu-0.3 watt, kanti isicelo se-OpenAI's ChatGPT sithatha amahora angu-2.9 watt, i-ejensi ithole. Uma bekunemibuzo engu-9 billion ye-ChatGPT nsuku zonke, lokhu bekuzodinga cishe amahora angama-terawatt ayi-10 kagesi owengeziwe ngonyaka.”

Unalokhu engqondweni, kunesixazululo esisodwa kuphela namuhla kule nkinga kanye nekusasa le-AI: amandla enuzi.