FutureBites with Dr. Bruce McCabe
FutureBites is a podcast exploring promising and exciting pathways to a better future. Hosted by Dr Bruce McCabe, a futurist and keynote speaker who travels the world presenting his unique insights and research on the future to corporations, governments, and audiences in all industries. In each FutureBites episode, Bruce meets with an inspiring leader in science, technology, economics or the social sciences to talk about ideas, game-changers and opportunities to create a better future.
FutureBites with Dr. Bruce McCabe
Will A.I. Boil The Planet? – With Vlad Coroama
Will A.I. use up the worlds electricity? Or will A.I. contribute more upside than downside by helping us solve the world’s sustainability problems?
In an era of ‘exponential AI,’ the answers have huge implications for our future, but they are far from clear, because ICTs contribute in many complex ways to energy savings AND use.
I meet with IT & sustainability guru Dr Vlad Coroama for an in-depth look at both sides of the ledger.
After exploring direct impacts, Vlad takes the discussion up a level by exploring indirect secondary effects (detrimental and beneficial) to get me thinking MUCH bigger about the dynamics shaping our future. We have a lot of coffee-fuelled fun going back and forth over his ideas! And of course Vlad draws on his meticulous research to offer some overall assessments of where we are today and where we are going in future with respect to AI, data centers and energy.
Vlad Coroama heads the Roegen Centre for Sustainability (RC4S) where he assists governments in using digital technologies to save energy and emissions, and in reducing the direct footprint of digitalisation. Much of his work focuses on the rapidly increasing energy/carbon footprint of AI and data centers. He has researched the complex relationships between computing and sustainability for 20 years in Switzerland (ETH Zurich, Empa), Brazil (University of São Paulo), Portugal (Instituto Superior Técnico, Coimbra University), Sweden (KTH Stockholm), and Germany (TU Berlin).
You will enjoy Vlad's company. He is a BIG thinker, he builds his arguments thoughtfully, based on careful analysis, and he has a way of cutting through complexity using simple, powerful examples. The world needs 10,000 more like him!
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As always, additional commentary and takeaways and the full transcript will be up on the Future Bites page soon. More on my work as a Futurist Speaker, and why I do what I do, at www.brucemccabe.com
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