Elon Musk Warns of Potential Global Energy Collapse in 30 Months
The American billionaire Elon Musk has raised alarms about a possible catastrophic collapse of global energy infrastructure within 30 to 36 months, attributing this risk to the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence systems and their substantial electricity consumption.
This warning was delivered during a detailed interview on the "Chiki Paint" podcast with John Collison, where Musk emphasized that current energy networks may struggle to cope with this increasing demand, stating: "In about three years, we will lose our energy... Remember my words... You cannot grow beyond this point here."
Musk elaborated that the energy consumption of artificial intelligence exceeds the capacity of existing networks to adapt, potentially leading to widespread power outages that threaten the continuity of essential digital services.
* An Unprecedented Plan: Moving Computing to Space
As an innovative solution to this crisis, Musk proposed a groundbreaking plan to relocate a significant portion of computing capabilities into space by launching a million small satellites equipped with central processing units powered directly by solar energy, taking advantage of the constant solar radiation available in low Earth orbit.
Musk stated: "The sun is always present in space, so we can generate limitless energy to power these systems, free from the constraints of Earth."
* Warnings of Potential Space Crisis
However, Musk's idea has not been without controversy; experts have cautioned about the potential overcrowding of Earth's orbit and the increased risk of satellite collisions, which could lead to an accumulation of space debris and complicate future space missions.
The European Space Agency has described the scenario as potentially transforming near-Earth space into a hazardous environment, urging the establishment of strict international standards before implementing projects of this scale.
* Alarming Energy Consumption Figures
Data from the International Energy Agency indicates that the energy consumption of artificial intelligence data centers is projected to reach 480 terawatt-hours globally by 2025, representing a 35% increase from the previous year, with forecasts suggesting this figure could double by 2028 if current growth continues without improvements in energy efficiency.
Dr. Leandra Cho from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology remarked that Musk's warnings "reflect a genuine gap between the pace of technological innovation and the capacity of infrastructure to accommodate it," advocating for urgent investments in small modular nuclear energy and high-efficiency solar panels as alternative solutions.
This alert comes at a time when the world, particularly the United States and China, is in a frantic race to build massive data centers, exacerbating environmental and logistical challenges related to energy consumption.
