Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping our world, but there's often confusion about what it truly involves. Roundtable anchor Rob Nelson and Rahul Mewawalla, CEO and President of Mawson Infrastructure Group, recently discussed the differences between AI and machine learning, and the broader implications of AI's growth.
Nelson clarified that while machine learning is a subset of AI, allowing machines to improve over time without explicit programming, AI itself goes much further. AI mimics human intelligence, tackling tasks that require more than just following instructions. This distinction, often misunderstood, is crucial as discussions about AI become more prevalent, especially in politics and public discourse.
Rahul Mewawalla added that while we're still far from achieving general AI that operates like human intelligence, the applied AI we use daily, like Siri and Alexa, is already making a significant impact. These technologies are powered by AI, making interactions more intuitive and personalized. However, Mewawalla pointed out that this requires enormous computational power, which demands a strong digital infrastructure and energy supply.
Recently, Charles Schwab CIO Liz Ann Saunders shared on X a breakdown of the energy use now consumed by the big tech companies and how it compares to that of nation states. The data, compiled by Visual Capitalist on X, showed Google and Microsoft used more energy than countries like Iceland and Croatia.
Nelson also raised a concern highlighted by Elon Musk about the potential energy shortage that could result from AI's growing demands. As AI becomes more integrated into our lives, the energy needed to support these advanced systems will increase significantly, posing challenges for the electric grid. Mewawalla emphasized the importance of investing in both digital infrastructure and energy resources to support AI's future.
