AI will drive unprecedented pressure on power grids for industries that are weaning themselves off fossil fuels

The record-breaking uptake of ChatGPT has raised huge interest – and investment – in generative AI. The ability of ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) to bridge the linguistic gap between humans and machines has caught the popular imagination and raised awareness of the potential to automate and improve many aspects of our lives. Looking at this phenomenal new technology from the point of view of the digital infrastructure it will need to succeed, there are two key challenges – energy and e-waste – that will require particular attention from the federal government, industry and businesses.