nuclear-news

Google Pivots to Nuclear Reactors to Power Its Artificial Intelligence

Science Alert, 15 October 2024, Glenn Chapman,

Google on Monday signed a deal to get electricity from small nuclear reactors to help power artificial intelligence.

The agreement to buy energy from reactors built by Kairos Power came just weeks after word that Three Mile Island, the site of America’s worst nuclear accident, will restart operations to provide energy to Microsoft………………………………………..

Insatiable AI

Tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are rapidly expanding their data center capabilities to meet the AI revolution’s computing needs while also scouring the globe for sources of electricity………………………………….

However, the technology is still in its infancy and lacks regulatory approval, leading companies to seek out existing nuclear power options……………………………..

Is it safe?

………………………………… This area faces severe strain from data centers’ massive energy consumption, raising concerns about grid stability as AI demands increase.

Amazon’s AWS agreed in March to invest $650 million in a data center campus powered by another Pennsylvania nuclear plant.

Nuclear energy has staunch opponents due to concerns about radioactive waste disposal, the potential for catastrophic accidents, and the high costs associated with plant construction and decommissioning………..  https://www.sciencealert.com/google-pivots-to-nuclear-reactors-to-power-its-artificial-intelligence

October 15, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | technology, USA