London, Sept 12 (Alliance News): Major figures in artificial intelligence are set to meet with senior US officials at the White House on Thursday to address the pressing issue of powering the AI boom, CNN has learned.
The high-profile meeting will include Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, Ruth Porat from Google, and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. This is the first time senior White House officials will engage with tech leaders specifically to discuss the energy demands of AI technologies.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and other top Biden administration officials are scheduled to attend, alongside representatives from Microsoft. However, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are not expected to be present.
The discussion comes as the rapid growth of AI raises concerns about its impact on the US power grid, especially as the Biden administration seeks to transition from fossil fuels.
AI’s energy consumption is substantial, with a single ChatGPT request using about ten times more electricity than a typical Google search. The International Energy Agency projects that AI’s energy use could increase tenfold by 2026.
Goldman Sachs forecasts a 160% rise in data center power demand by 2030 due to AI. The industry’s substantial energy needs are likely to accelerate US power demand growth throughout this decade.
Altman, who is also involved with Exowatt—a startup focusing on solar power to reduce AI’s carbon footprint—has a vested interest in the discussion.
Exowatt recently introduced a new system designed to generate and store clean energy for AI data centers.
White House spokesperson Robyn Patterson emphasized the administration’s commitment to maintaining US leadership in AI while ensuring responsible development and energy sustainability.
The meeting follows a July 2023 initiative by the Biden administration urging AI companies to conduct external testing of new systems and label AI-generated content clearly.
