ChatGPT’s Image Generation Overwhelms Servers, Highlighting AI’s Energy Consumption
“Our servers are melting down. (…) We will have to introduce certain limits.” Two days after integrating a new image generation option into ChatGPT on March 25th, OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, admitted to being overwhelmed. The cause was the enthusiasm generated by the ability to transform photos into different styles using artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in the style of Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation film producer Hayao Miyazaki. Announcing 1 million additional sign-ups in one hour on March 31st, Sam Altman acknowledged the following day the risk of ChatGPT slowing down or even experiencing outages.
The Energy Footprint of Generative AI
This episode highlights the significant energy consumption associated with generative AI. Its rapid development is expected to more than double the electricity demand of data centers worldwide by 2030. According to a report published in April by the International Energy Agency (IEA), it is projected to reach approximately 945 terawatt-hours, exceeding the total electricity consumption of Japan. By this time, data centers will consume slightly less than 3% of global electricity, the agency notes. “In the United States, data centers account for nearly half of the expected growth in electricity demand by 2030,” the IEA predicts.
Data Center Expansion and Energy Solutions
Data center projects are proliferating across the Atlantic. Stargate, unveiled, includes a $500 billion (441 billion euros) package of public and private funds and plans for up to 10 new data centers. As proof that energy is central to the development of AI, Meta and Microsoft are considering connecting their data centers directly to nuclear power plants. These projects anticipate the announced success of AI in the years to come. Now integrated into Bing, WhatsApp, and soon Google, these models will be everywhere in our phones, raising major questions about ecological impact.
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