Artificial intelligence consumes massive amounts of energy. Here's why

"Our GPUs [graphics processing units] are melting. We are going to temporarily introduce some rate limits." Just two days after OpenAI added a new image generation feature to ChatGPT, on March 25, CEO Sam Altman openly admitted the company was overwhelmed. Users were rushing to test the new ability to transform photos into different styles of art using artificial intelligence technology, especially in the characteristic style of Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio founded by artist and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. On March 31, Altman announced that one million new users had signed up for ChatGPT in just one hour. The day after, he acknowledged that ChatGPT faced the risk of service slowing down, or even outages.
The sequence highlighted the enormous energy drain represented by generative AI technology. AI's explosive growth is now expected to more than double global electricity demand from data centers by 2030. According to an April report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the demand could reach around 945 terawatt-hours (Twh), surpassing the current total electricity consumption of Japan. By that time, data centers will consume just under 3% of the world's electricity, it found. "In the United States, power consumption by data centers is on course to account for almost half of the growth in electricity demand between now and 2030," the IEA wrote.
Data center projects have been proliferating in the US. Donald Trump announced the launching of Stargate, a project with a $500 billion package of public and private funds that has already provided for the construction of up to 10 new data centers. Proving the point that energy is a core challenge in AI development, Meta and Microsoft have planned to connect their data centers directly to nuclear power plants. These projects anticipate that AI technology will achieve the success that has been predicted in the coming years. Indeed, now that AI models are integrated into Bing, WhatsApp, and, soon, Google, they will be included in every app on our phones, raising significant questions about their environmental impact.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

France 24

18 minutes ago

• France 24

Tech-fueled misinformation distorts Iran-Israel fighting

The information warfare unfolding alongside ground combat -- sparked by Israel's strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and military leadership -- underscores a digital crisis in the age of rapidly advancing AI tools that have blurred the lines between truth and fabrication. The surge in wartime misinformation has exposed an urgent need for stronger detection tools, experts say, as major tech platforms have largely weakened safeguards by scaling back content moderation and reducing reliance on human fact-checkers. After Iran struck Israel with barrages of missiles last week, AI-generated videos falsely claimed to show damage inflicted on Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport. The videos were widely shared across Facebook, Instagram and X. Using a reverse image search, AFP's fact-checkers found that the clips were originally posted by a TikTok account that produces AI-generated content. There has been a "surge in generative AI misinformation, specifically related to the Iran-Israel conflict," Ken Jon Miyachi, founder of the Austin-based firm BitMindAI, told AFP. "These tools are being leveraged to manipulate public perception, often amplifying divisive or misleading narratives with unprecedented scale and sophistication." 'Photo-realism' GetReal Security, a US company focused on detecting manipulated media including AI deepfakes, also identified a wave of fabricated videos related to the Israel-Iran conflict. The company linked the visually compelling videos -- depicting apocalyptic scenes of war-damaged Israeli aircraft and buildings as well as Iranian missiles mounted on a trailer -- to Google's Veo 3 AI generator, known for hyper-realistic visuals. The Veo watermark is visible at the bottom of an online video posted by the news outlet Tehran Times, which claims to show "the moment an Iranian missile" struck Tel Aviv. "It is no surprise that as generative-AI tools continue to improve in photo-realism, they are being misused to spread misinformation and sow confusion," said Hany Farid, the co-founder of GetReal Security and a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Farid offered one tip to spot such deepfakes: the Veo 3 videos were normally eight seconds in length or a combination of clips of a similar duration. "This eight-second limit obviously doesn't prove a video is fake, but should be a good reason to give you pause and fact-check before you re-share," he said. The falsehoods are not confined to social media. Disinformation watchdog NewsGuard has identified 51 websites that have advanced more than a dozen false claims -- ranging from AI-generated photos purporting to show mass destruction in Tel Aviv to fabricated reports of Iran capturing Israeli pilots. Sources spreading these false narratives include Iranian military-linked Telegram channels and state media sources affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), sanctioned by the US Treasury Department, NewsGuard said. 'Control the narrative' "We're seeing a flood of false claims and ordinary Iranians appear to be the core targeted audience," McKenzie Sadeghi, a researcher with NewsGuard, told AFP. Sadeghi described Iranian citizens as "trapped in a sealed information environment," where state media outlets dominate in a chaotic attempt to "control the narrative." Iran itself claimed to be a victim of tech manipulation, with local media reporting that Israel briefly hacked a state television broadcast, airing footage of women's protests and urging people to take to the streets. Adding to the information chaos were online clips lifted from war-themed video games. AFP's fact-checkers identified one such clip posted on X, which falsely claimed to show an Israeli jet being shot down by Iran. The footage bore striking similarities to the military simulation game Arma 3. Israel's military has rejected Iranian media reports claiming its fighter jets were downed over Iran as "fake news." Chatbots such as xAI's Grok, which online users are increasingly turning to for instant fact-checking, falsely identified some of the manipulated visuals as real, researchers said. "This highlights a broader crisis in today's online information landscape: the erosion of trust in digital content," BitMindAI's Miyachi said. "There is an urgent need for better detection tools, media literacy, and platform accountability to safeguard the integrity of public discourse." burs-ac/jgc

Euronews

14 hours ago

• Euronews

Air Astana CEO reveals plans to boost market value

As Central Asia's only airline listed on three stock exchanges, Kazakhstan's flagship carrier Air Astana has led the region's aviation sector for over 20 years. Since its IPO in February 2024, the airline's share price has dipped. Ahead of their half year results, Euronews sat down with Air Astana's CEO, Peter Foster, to discuss his plans to raise share prices and expand Kazakhstan's flag carrier's global presence. Q: How do you assess investor sentiment following Air Astana's IPO, and what key strategies do you plan to implement to maintain stock and shareholder value? A: The stock price has been a bit disappointing since the IPO in February of last year — the stock price has declined. The main point to make is that the company, in fact, has performed extremely well and continues to do so. So of course, our job is to manage the company to the best of our ability and of course to maximise shareholder value. We have recently announced a very substantial dividend. In fact, the largest dividend that we've ever paid, and one of the largest dividends in the airline industry today. And that's a reflection of the strong performance, of the strong balance sheet, the strong cash balance. We believe that if we continue to manage the company well and if it performs well, the stock price will follow eventually. The key really is to continue managing the airline in the way that we have in all [my] 20 years here: To keep focussed on cost, to keep cost competitive so that the airline remains competitive in an increasingly challenging global marketplace and to maximise service levels to ensure top class safety standards and by doing so, we can leverage the quality of the product to ensure the airline continues being profitable. Q: You have outlined major strategic opportunities for international growth — in the Gulf, Western Europe, China, Korea, Japan and India. What would these partnerships entail? A: Kazakhstan is a country of 20 million people and yet Air Astana today is at 62 aircraft and of course we intend to grow that to 84 aircraft by the end of 2028. When you look at the size of Air Astana and growth profile and the overall size of the Kazakhstan market, you see that of course we are proud to serve the Kazakhstan market and Kazakhstan's travellers, but it's not sufficient to enable the airline to grow as we are doing into a significant international airline player. Therefore, we absolutely need to leverage our position in close proximity to some of the world's largest markets to ensure that we are also getting a significant portion of our customers from those large markets which are much bigger than Kazakhstan. The best way to leverage that geographical position is to work with partner airlines from those countries. We're presently in discussions with China Southern in China, we are having discussions with carriers in India, we've recently signed a code share with Japan Airlines for the Japanese market, we have an existing commercial relationship with Lufthansa for western Europe, with Turkish Airlines for Turkey. So, this is the way that an airline of our aspiration with a home market that is relatively small can leverage the quality of the airline and the geography of location of the airline with partners to expand beyond its own borders. Q: With the current shortage of fuel-efficient aircraft, how is Air Astana adapting its operational strategies? A: The manufacturers and the engine manufacturers introduced new engine technology from NASA ten years ago. Without going into technical detail, it was technology that was primarily driven by the need to provide higher bypass engines, which are more fuel-efficient. You get more power from less fuel burned, which saves the airline money and of course, it's more environmentally sustainable. In fact, on an average flight, it takes to London [from Astana], a 7.5-hour flight, we can save up to 20-25% more fuel than would have been burning in the past times. So that's very good. The problem with that is that the engine technology is relatively new, complex and it has been subject to reliability issues which are ongoing and so we're not getting quite the efficiency or the sustainability readings that we had hoped for. But those problems will resolve themselves in time and therefore we can expect to get the full benefits both in terms of economics and the environment as we go forward. Q: What green technologies or sustainability initiatives is Air Astana adopting to contribute to Kazakhstan's net-zero goals? A: We were one of the first movers to bring in the Airbus neo long-range aircraft. In fact, we were the first airline to sign for those aircraft at Paris Air Show ten years ago. They are significantly better, more optimal than the previous engine technology that was deployed on aircraft on those long routes and we will continue to introduce those aircraft in order to meet the sustainability targets. The manufacturers are working on enhanced technology in terms of aerodynamics, in terms of wing design, in terms of engine design, as we go forward. But inevitably the significant portion of our realisation of net zero will come from carbon credits and the CORSIA scheme (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation), which has been introduced and endorsed by the United Nations and all member states. China has approved a number of rare earth export licences, a move that could provide modest relief to global manufacturers struggling with supply disruptions. But with export volumes still sharply down and no transparency on which firms benefit, Europe's automotive industry remains vulnerable to further disruption. At a press conference on Thursday, China's commerce ministry confirmed it had approved 'a certain number' of export licence applications for rare earths and magnets. These minerals are used in an array of high-tech products such as smartphones and jet engines. Rare earths such as neodymium, dysprosium and terbium are indispensable for producing lightweight, high-efficiency motors in electric and hybrid vehicles. China's announcement follows months of tension sparked by Beijing's decision in April to impose new export controls on seven rare earth elements and related products — just days after Washington introduced steep tariffs on Chinese goods. According to commerce ministry spokesperson He Yadong, China will 'continue to strengthen the review and approval' of licence applications and remains 'willing to enhance communication and dialogue' on export controls. The updated tone from Beijing also arrives just weeks before a major EU-China summit set for 24 to 25 July in Beijing, commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations. Chinese customs data shows the stark impact of the restrictions. Exports of rare earth magnets plunged 74% in May compared to a year earlier, the steepest drop in over a decade. Shipments to the United States fell by 93%, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. Total export volumes for May stood at just 1.2 million kilograms, the lowest since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Earlier April exports also dropped by 45% year-on-year. JL Mag Rare-Earth, a major Chinese magnet supplier to Tesla, Bosch and General Motor, said last week that it had begun receiving licences for shipments to the US, Europe and Southeast Asia. Since April, hundreds of export licence applications have been submitted to Chinese authorities, but only about one-quarter have reportedly been approved. Some firms have encountered requests to disclose IP-sensitive information, while others have faced outright rejections based on unclear procedural grounds. ING economist Rico Luman indicated that with 'nearly 70% of global rare earth production and more than 90% of processing taking place in China, the world remains heavily reliant' on the country. Though rare earths are not geologically scarce — cerium, for instance, is more abundant than copper — their extraction is costly, and mineable concentrations are rare. "It's not a question of scarcity, but of concentration," Luman added. China also supplies more than 90% of the world's demand for rare earth permanent magnets, frequently used in electric motors and wind turbines. Without access to these materials, the European automotive supply chain risks paralysis. The automotive sector relies heavily on rare earth magnets for electric motors, power steering, sensors and other components used in both combustion and electric vehicles. 'China's export restrictions are already shutting down production in Europe's supplier sector,' Benjamin Krieger, Secretary General of CLEPA, warned earlier this spring. His call for 'transparent, proportionate' licensing remains relevant, even as some licences begin to clear. The European Chamber of Commerce in China confirmed that while some progress has been made, challenges persist. 'The situation is improving, although the percentage of cleared licences does vary. Additionally, even once the licence is given, delays can still be seen in customs clearances,' said Adam Dunnett, the Chamber's secretary general. Beijing's latest move to ease export restrictions on key components for the automotive industry offers only limited relief to a sector under strain. The European automotive industry, already grappling with competition from lower-cost Chinese electric vehicles, remains vulnerable to material shortages, delays and discretionary actions from Beijing — thereby reinforcing China's leverage in global trade negotiations.

Fashion Network

15 hours ago

• Fashion Network

Princesse tam tam and Comptoir des Cotonniers heading for receivership

Another major French fashion player is under threat. has learnt that fashion retailer Comptoir des Cotonniers and lingerie chain Princesse tam tam are heading towards receivership proceedings. The owner of the two chains, Japanese group Fast Retailing, is about to file for receivership for both. The application is set to be filed with the Paris trade court on Friday June 20, sources close to the matter have told The two chains, bought by Fast Retailing in 2005, have been battling the fashion market's headwinds for several years, having been reorganised three times in succession, in 2018, 2021 and 2023. The move that will make it easier for the two chains to go into receivership was made by Fast Retailing in September 2024, when it decided to merge the two businesses into a single corporate entity, under the Fast Retailing France company. The latter doesn't include the lucrative business of Uniqlo in France, whose 30 stores are run by a European holding company based in London. With the reorganisation carried out two years ago, Princesse tam tam deployed a redundancy plan that led to the closure of 27 out of 69 stores, for a loss of 84 out of 235 jobs, while Comptoir des Cotonniers closed 28 out of 67 stores and slashed 101 out of 272 jobs. The chains are currently operating a total of nearly 90 stores, approximately 50 for Princesse tam tam and about 40 for Comptoir des Cotonniers. In spring 2024, in an effort to revive their fortunes, the chains, led by Kunii San, announced they were cutting retail prices by approximately 30%, in order to attract a broader clientèle, notably 25 to 35-year-olds. They also forged closer links with Uniqlo, dropping joint capsule collections and opening shop-in-shops within Uniqlo stores. Comptoir des Cotonniers, which became part of Fast Retailing exactly 20 years ago, was an extremely popular brand in the 2000s and 2010s in France, characterised by a casual-chic style and adverts chiefly featuring mothers and daughters. The brand was founded in 1995 by the Elicha family, opening its first stores in the Toulouse area. Princesse tam tam was created 10 years earlier, in 1985, designed by the sisters Loumia and Shama Hiridjee. It carved out a niche for itself in the French fashion landscape with its brightly coloured underwear and swimwear featuring successful prints, taking a sideways step from classic French lace items. Another two fashion chains active in the French retail sector are therefore adding their names to the list of defaults, following the first tremor caused by Camaïeu going into liquidation in 2022. Recently, Jennyfer has liquidated most of its assets, as did Café Coton, while Naf Naf and André have both been placed in receivership. By initiating these proceedings, Fast Retailing has made the decision to no longer give financial support to Princesse tam tam and Comptoir des Cotonniers, and to stop feeding them cash. However, the group is doing extremely well on a global scale. In H1 of fiscal 2024/25, its net income jumped 19.2% to reach ¥233.5 billion (€1.4 billion). Revenue in the period grew by 12% to ¥1.790 trillion (€10.7 billion).