The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI, is presenting unprecedented challenges to the underlying infrastructure. Data centers, the heart of AI operations, consume immense amounts of electricity. They already account for about 3 percent of global electricity consumption; this share could increase to over 8 percent by 2030. This development forces companies to adopt innovative energy approaches to relieve the grid – a necessity that Microsoft has impressively demonstrated with its recently concluded partnership with Constellation Energy.

However, despite such efforts, the consequences for our power grids and the fundamental infrastructure could be devastating if the AI-induced energy demand is not managed sustainably. The role of the power grid encompasses much more than simply turning on lights or charging devices; it is an integral part of critical infrastructures such as water and sewage systems. An indiscriminate shift of energy in favor of AI could cut off power to these vital services.

Another aspect is the immense power demand required by cooling systems to regulate the temperature of AI servers. These are essential to prevent overheating and associated failures. The energy requirements could exceed the capacities of our current infrastructure and ultimately burden the consumer – whether through higher electricity bills or even outages. The energy pressure that AI exerts on the power grid is neither economically nor ecologically sustainable. This underscores the necessity to find more efficient and sustainable energy sources.