Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

TagEnergy use

3d-illustration-concept-image-embossed-mesh-representing-internet-connections-in-cloud-computing-stockpack-adobe-stock
3D illustration, concept image. Embossed mesh representing internet connections in cloud computing.

The Secret Ingredient for AI: Ergodicity

If you don't know the term, you need to
Economist George Gilder notes that creativity in invention and entrepreneurism is characterized by innovative surprise. Read More ›
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Huge smoke clouds on sky background

Cloud Computing? There’s a Lot of Smoke in Those Clouds

Big Tech creates many environment issues that we do not often hear about, the way we hear about coal mines and landfills

When we think about environment problems, we naturally imagine huge smokestacks turning the sky dark and coating the trees with soot. But glitzy high tech stuff like cloud computing and cryptocurrency use a lot of energy too. Cloud computing, where we use computing resources via the internet without installing and maintaining them, is a huge energy hog we never see: The music video for “Despacito” set an Internet record in April 2018 when it became the first video to hit five billion views on YouTube. In the process, “Despacito” reached a less celebrated milestone: it burned as much energy as 40,000 U.S. homes use in a year. Naomi Xu Elegant, “The Internet Cloud Has a Dirty Secret” at Fortune (September Read More ›