In this episode, I dive into a big question with Grok: just how much energy does AI actually use? What starts as a simple query about the power required for one conversation unfolds into a wide-ranging exploration of data centers, energy grids, and the future of AI’s electricity demands.
We crunch numbers on server loads, personal devices, and scaling up to national levels—comparing everything from coal plants in Australia to solar farms big enough to cover half the UK. Along the way, we weigh the realities of nuclear power, the speed of construction in China versus the West, and the rare materials needed to build the next generation of power stations.
It’s a fascinating, sometimes sobering look at the collision between AI growth and global energy supply—and what might happen if demand outpaces our ability to build.