Former US energy secretary Steven Chu says that a spike in extreme weather caused by climate change is increasing power outages, but that artificial intelligence can help better manage the transmission and distribution systems required by renewable energy to blunt the impact of outages.
During a keynote speech in Abu Dhabi, he also said that although AI is increasing energy demand, there's the potential for researchers and tech experts to invent a new architecture to make AI more sustainable.
"Already people are very motivated to decrease the energy consumption of AI in two ways, one is in the software, to make the machine learning more streamlined and give the queries less scope, and they're also trying to do things with hardware," Mr Chu told a packed auditorium on Wednesday at during a symposium hosted by Adia Lab, Abu Dhabi’s independent institute dedicated to research in data and computer sciences.
"If you look at Nvidia's website, you can see they're bragging about how low in terms of energy per unit for operation, the H100 is, it's about a kilowatt of power for one chip, but they claim it's very low compared to what it does for one chip," he explained, pointing out if those efficiencies would be eventually transferred to the hundreds of thousands of servers already in existence, a significant reduction of energy consumption could be possible.
He also explained that AI can help utility companies and customers take more control over their energy production and consumption, potentially saving energy resources, money and energy.
"If the customers knew that a particular utility is being strained at various moments, and it's costing the utility companies more money, and in turn, costing them more money, they might say 'I don't want to run my clothes washer at this time', but most people right now aren't aware when utility companies are under strain," he said, noting that smart appliances and AI might make it possible to assist with energy automation and customer knowledge.
"Most people aren't aware what's really happening, but with smart appliances and a distributed form of AI can help, consumers could potentially sign up on a voluntary basis to share your energy load and the utility company could give you a lower bill," he said.
Shortly after his keynote speech at the symposium which lasted just under one hour, Mr Chu also answered a question about president-elect Donald Trump's choice for energy secretary, Chris Wright, saying he believed Mr Wright will most likely push for the US to leave the Paris Climate Agreement that was signed by more than 190 countries.
“It’s a totally different sea change, which is quite sad,” Mr Chu said, responding to a question from The National. He also expects Mr Wright to slow down America's drive towards renewable energy sources and eliminate financial incentives for various climate initiatives.
Mr Chu, a Physics Nobel laureate who serves as an advisory board member of Adia Lab, was speaking about sustainability in the context of artificial intelligence on Wednesday before being asked for his thoughts on the nomination of Mr Wright, a veteran oil executive who founded and has led Colorado-based Liberty Energy since 2011.
“You might think it’s only four years,” Mr Chu said, referring to the presidential election cycles and how long Mr Wright might serve if confirmed by the US Senate.
“But remember, more than half the country voted for this person [Mr Trump] and a large fraction of the people don’t want to spend money on climate change, and so we’ve got a problem in the United States.”
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Spec%20sheet
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The%20specs
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SCORES IN BRIEF
Lahore Qalandars 186 for 4 in 19.4 overs
(Sohail 100,Phil Salt 37 not out, Bilal Irshad 30, Josh Poysden 2-26)
bt Yorkshire Vikings 184 for 5 in 20 overs
(Jonathan Tattersall 36, Harry Brook 37, Gary Ballance 33, Adam Lyth 32, Shaheen Afridi 2-36).
Landfill in numbers
• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane
• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming
• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi
• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year
• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away
• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
match info
Manchester United 3 (Martial 7', 44', 74')
Sheffield United 0
