AI's Energy & Water Demands: Sorting Fact from Fiction with Andy Masley
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Episode Description
Andy Masley on AI energy and water use unpacks common myths and brings an Effective Altruism lens to the debate. PSA for AI builders: Interested in alignment, governance, or AI safety? Learn more about the MATS Summer 2026 Fellowship and submit your name to be notified when applications open: https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr. You’ll get memorable heuristics—one ChatGPT query ≈ running a microwave for one second; 10,000 queries ≈ a cross-town car trip, burger, or hot shower—and clear comparisons about data center power, solar land area, and an estimated 80 GW buildout. We also cover local impacts, water trade-offs, uncertainty drivers, and why AI’s global resource footprint is smaller than many fear while noting where caution is still warranted.
LINKS:
- Andy Masley Substack homepage
- Power Hungry Processing paper PDF
- Energy Efficiency AI Benchmarks PDF
- Deep neural network energy paper
- Gemini Deep Research report
- ChatGPT 5.1 Pro report
- Claude Opus 4.5 report
- Altman “The Gentle Singularity”
- SemiAnalysis AI datacenter energy dilemma
- Epoch OpenAI compute spend
- Dean Ball Out of Thin Air
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