Episode 182 | Greener GPUs | Nvidia
We’ve been talking about AI for years. It wasn’t until 2022 when ChatGPT was launched that this technology finally gave rise to what some are calling the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
“It was a unique circumstance where we had the right computing platform with accelerated computing, we had the right amount of data with the Internet and all of the data that was able to be found there,” says Josh Parker, Sr. Director of Sustainability for Nvidia. The technology giant, with their software and graphics processing units (GPUs), form the backbone of AI and the promise it holds.
The demand for AI computing is huge. The International Energy Agency predicts consumption from A.I., data centers, and cryptocurrency could exceed a million megawatt-hours by 2026. That’s roughly the energy consumption of Japan. And let’s not forget how much additional demand is coming from the electrification of our vehicle fleet.
“It is a much denser computing platform than traditional computing,” says Josh. “So, you do see significant energy in a smaller footprint than you did before.”
Josh says even the most pessimistic energy forecasts often forget about one key variable—efficiency. He says their latest generation of products, Blackwell, is 25 times more energy efficient than their previous generation, Hopper. He also points out the difference in the two computing functions of AI, “Learning”—the process of feeding a program like ChatGPT—and “Inference”—interacting with the program. Inference uses far less computing power, and older hardware can still perform that work.
We also discussed solutions Nvidia and AI are providing the energy sector itself. Josh says it’s worked with companies like Utilidata to use AI to manage the grid more intelligently. AI can also be used for automated image recognition to identify places where maintenance might be required. Argonne Nat’l Lab estimated grid maintenance could be reduced as much as 50% using AI to look for components susceptible to failure.
I was curious if Nvidia was planning to enter the energy sector itself, expanding into, say new renewable technologies. However, Josh says the company’s core focus is enabling other companies achieve those goals, providing the hardware and training necessary to succeed.
“When you use AI as a tool for sustainability, it really is to me, the most powerful tool the world has ever seen to help us with sustainability challenges.”
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