Much has changed in three years.
This fall will mark three years since ChatGPT was officially launched, and in that short amount of time, artificial intelligence is starting to feel like it’s everywhere. AI tools already are entrenching themselves in schools and workplaces, as media outlets constantly tout the latest AI news and tech companies invest billions upon billions of dollars in the technology.
All of that growth, though, comes with a cost. Those AI tasks and searches that are becoming an increasing part of everyday life require a lot of energy.
As of now, data centers account for 4% of the nation’s energy demand, but in three years, that percentage is expected to rise to 12%, says Ryan Davies, professor of finance at Babson. “The demand for these data centers has skyrocketed in recent years,” he says.
That expansion of data centers comes at a time when electricity rates have been…
