The brilliant businessman who founded SpaceX and Tesla, Elon Musk, has made a daring declaration about artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for global infrastructure. Musk issued a warning during a Q&A session at the Bosch Connected globe conference, stating that the globe may see transformer and electrical shortages in the upcoming year as a result of the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and electric cars (EVs).
Musk emphasized that AI processing power is growing exponentially, claiming that it seems to be growing by a factor of ten every six months. He noted that although this growth rate is not sustainable, AI development is moving forward at a never-before-seen rate. He compared the current AI surge to a historical “chip rush” that eclipses the gold rush.
The availability of voltage step-down transformers is now receiving more attention than the scarcity of chips, which was a significant problem in the past. These transformers are necessary to supply AI systems with power because they use a lot of electricity. Musk made the amusing observation that “you need transformers to run transformers” since AI technology has special power needs.
Musk foresaw that, as demand for electricity to power EVs and AI systems grows, the next shortfall would be in electricity. In order to satisfy this demand, he underlined the necessity of clean energy generation and urged swift action to increase manufacturing of electrical equipment and power producing infrastructure.
Musk’s comments highlight how vital it is to make the switch to clean energy sources. AI and electric vehicles are growing at the same time, which poses a big infrastructural and energy consumption concern. In order to prevent future supply shortages, business and legislators should take note of Musk’s warning and move quickly to adopt sustainable energy solutions.