What AC, AI and Vegas' Sphere tell us about energy

The AI boom — and corresponding boom in energy demand — is reviving an age-old debate: Is there such a thing as "bad" energy use?Why it matters: In the first episode of a new podcast launched Monday, I go on a journey of energy self-discovery. I talk to experts about three different ways — often wasteful ways, critics would argue — that society uses energy: air conditioning, AI and the Sphere, Las Vegas' massive cylindrical concert venue.The big picture: The "Shocked" podcast, supported by the University of Chicago, tackles a range of topics, including geoengineering, China's dominance in batteries and more.Driving the news: It opens with a recitation of angry emails that a writer received after calling on people to use less air conditioning. We discuss just how essential AC is — particularly in lower-income countries facing the brunt of higher temperatures driven by global warming.We find that 10 air conditioners are sold every second, and focus on the appliance's growth in India. "If we talk about the market today, it's 14 to 15 million room air conditioners," said Kanwal Jeet Jawa, head of Daikin India. "When I started, the total market was maybe less than 10,000."Check out this wild tidbit: Singapore's founding prime minister was asked about the most important factors in the country's success. First, he said, was promoting multicultural tolerance. Second? Air conditioning. He called it "one of the signal inventions of history. It changed the nature of civilization by making development possible in the tropics."How it works: I then ponder energy's essential role in AI. Energy is so important to a data center's business that it's literally how the centers are measured and how companies are charged, specifically in megawatts.By the numbers: The numbers here can feel a little abstract, because they're measured in wonky terms. Let's break it down, with help from Bruno Berti, head of product for NTT Global Data, which designs, builds and operates data centers.One of NTT Global Data's standard centers is designed to provide 36 megawatts, about the same amount of power as 36,000 homes.Zoom in: Berti explains that inside a typical center, computing equipment racks about seven feet high and two feet wide had, traditionally, consumed three to five kilowatts — or three to five homes' worth of power in one rack."Now with AI, those pieces of equipment are 120 kilowatts a rack, and Nvidia is now talking about technology that actually says 600 kilowatts. So that's 600 homes in one rack's worth of equipment," Berti said.Put another way, that's something like a 12,000 percent increase.What's next: Listen to the full episode to hear how this compares to AC and the Sphere, and how we connect it to our broader climate change debate and energy usage.My co-host is Michael Greenstone, founding director of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth at the University of Chicago, which launched last year.Editor's note: This article was written based on content from the podcast, which was created by a team including University of Chicago experts and producers at Magnificent Noise. Amy is also the institute's inaugural fellow.

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