Elon Musk warns of possible electric droughts for 2025
Tech mogul Elon Musk, known for being the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, as well as owner of X (formerly Twitter), predicted a shortage by 2025, driven by the growing demand for artificial intelligence and cutting-edge chips. What is it about and what are the reasons?
When we hear about droughts, we usually think directly of water, of dry rivers and of the limits on personal consumption that have begun to be established in places where it has barely rained during the year and where they have not been able to refill the reservoirs. But what if the next crisis we face is not a water crisis but an electricity crisis?
This is the concern that magnate Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and owner of X, has raised. During the Bosch Connected World event, Musk stated that it is more than possible that by 2025 we could face an electrical drought that will turn our daily lives upside down.
Electricity: our source of life
It is very difficult to understand how much we value electricity in our daily lives, because it is not just about charging our phone or turning on the TV to watch at night. Our entire life is connected to light, and we only value it when we are faced with a blackout. The electrical network that keeps us connected to the life we currently have is incredible.
The problem Musk sees is that demand is growing at practically unsustainable rates, due in large part to Artificial Intelligence (AI), despite the fact that they are revolutionizing specific industries, they consume more and more energy, and the use of AI is exponentially multiplying electrical networks, putting them at the limit of their capacity.
The end of progress?
The reality is that it would be very difficult for us to imagine a world without technology, but the image of the "electric apocalypse" is more present than ever and, as Musk says, it could become a reality very soon. The essential components for the transmission of electricity could also be in jeopardy.
Furthermore, for the technological community this is an alarming crisis, because it would not only mean a halt in the development of new technologies, but it could even interrupt the operation of hospitals and basic services, such as traffic lights!
AI and its use
As we said before, one of the things that is accelerating this process is the increased use of AI, and it is that, from the servers that process the data to the moment in which the information reaches our electronic devices, they require an amount of electricity that we cannot even imagine.
Large companies such as Microsoft, Google or Amazon have already begun to look for other solutions by investing in energy infrastructure that can be more efficient, but Musk confirms that this is not enough because it is not a business problem but a global one.
Is there a plan to avoid collapse?
For now, and although it may sound discouraging, only renewable energy sources (mainly solar and wind) are being implemented, which helps to diversify electricity generation. However, this may not be enough and other alternatives will have to be sought before collapse occurs.
And although Musk's warning may seem excessive, it is not something we should take lightly because we are at a crucial moment where every decision we make can change the course of the world as we know it, and we have to be responsible for ensuring a sustainable future!