○One of the most harmful myths about digital technology is that it is somehow weightless or immaterial. Remember the early talk about “paperless” offices and “frictionless” transactions? And of course, our personal electronic devices Several Electricity is insignificant compared to a washing machine or dishwasher.
But even if you believe this comforting story, you might not survive when you come across Kate Crawford’s seminal book. Atlas of AI or impressive Structure of an AI system A graphic she created with Vladan Joler. And it definitely won’t survive a visit to the data center. One giant metal shed houses tens or even hundreds of thousands of servers, consuming large amounts of electricity and requiring large amounts of water for cooling systems.
On the energy side, consider Ireland, a small country with a huge number of data centers. According to a report by the Central Bureau of Statistics, these huts will be consumed in 2022 More electricity than every rural home in the country (18%), and as much as any urban dwelling in Ireland. And as far as water consumption is concerned, a 2021 Imperial College London study estimates: One medium-sized data center used the same amount of water as three average-sized hospitals. This serves as a useful reminder that while these industrial warehouses embody the metaphor of “cloud computing,” there’s nothing foggy or fluff about them. If you’re tempted to see it for yourself, forget it. Getting into Fort Knox should be easy..
There are currently between 9,000 and 11,000 such data centers around the world. Many of them are old-style server farms with thousands or millions of cheap PCs that store all the data our smartphone-driven world generates, including photos, documents, videos, and recordings. It’s starting to look a little outdated. In such casual abundance.
what i was reading
shabby philanthropist
Read Deborah Doan’s book sharp review for alliance Tim Schwab’s critical book magazine, bill gates problem.
final write
Veteran commentator Jeff Jarvis think about giving up “About old journalism and its legacy industry,” in a BuzzMachine blog post.
slim picking
In his blog No Mercy/No Malice, Scott Galloway suggests that AI and weight loss drugs have a lot in common.
Source: www.theguardian.com
