Data Centers-- water and power

[thaiboxerken]

The question of how a Data Center sources water and power is somewhat moot, given that whatever it takes cannot be used by anything else.
Until we have stable power and water for Humans, we shouldn't spend hundreds of billions to provide it to computer programs.

Couldn't we say the same about watering lawns, watering golf courses, powering stadiums for entertainment/sports? The end-user for all of these data centers are humans.

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

AI is probably best used for things humans can't easily do. Drug design, studying complex multi-gene issues like autism, engineering, complex mathematical problems. I am not sure that large language models, music composing or creating art is a good use of AI resources.

Using AI to transcribe meetings just puts a secretary out of a job.

And will probably lead to decisions like the board buying 500,000 shares in Fireflies Incorporated.

 

[Darat]

Couldn't we say the same about watering lawns, watering golf courses, powering stadiums for entertainment/sports? The end-user for all of these data centers are humans.

A fair point. I think a lot of the recent issues with data centres is the arrogance that has been behind them, in the past data centres went through the usual planning processes, and upgrades to the infrastructure was all part and parcel of typical industrial process. But then the "tech bros" got involved and as we know pesky planning permission, environmental assessments, impact on communities and so on are only issues for the little people as far as they are concerned, the sudden so-called "demand" for data centres couldn't be constrained by all these pesky regulations.

 

[Safe-Keeper]

This might be better suited for another thread, but I got to thinking --do we actually really want a free Internet?
(Note that with 'free', I mean free of charge). Do we need to have a platform like YouTube where people upload 500 hours of video a minute? And let's remember, most of those vids are seen a few times and then gather dust in a data centre for decades. I haven't been able to find a definite number, not to mention sources, but think about how many videos on YouTube have zero views. Do we need to be able to upload and store videos for free?

Apply this to other fields. Do we need chatbots you can ask lots of questions to without paying? Sure, it's more democratic as people with no or low income also get access, and that of course goes for everything from email to Word online, but when you think about how much power and water they consume, should ChatGPT for example really be free of charge?

Also, I imagine that the more you pay for services, the harder it'd be for providers to justify collecting data to give away/sell to third parties. Idealistic, sure, but also a possibility.

 

[dirtywick]

part of the problem with the economics behind it all is that it’s not free. currently a site like youtube gets its revenue from advertising and subscriptions (which is really just to avoid watching the ads). in fact most services that utilize data centers follow that model.

the ai buildout really can’t do that though. you can’t insert ads into ai agents, though i expect they will try. which leaves you with subscription based revenue.

but personally i dont think free is on the table with ai agents.

 

[TragicMonkey]

The whole thing makes perfect economic sense. It's circular economy, you see. The public has an infinite, inexhaustible demand for tulip bulbs. I mean AI.