🚀 AI's Stargate is the New Moon Shot
👉 What you need to know about this important announcement
Summary: This newsletter takes a quick look at President Trump’s announcement of the Stargate Project. I discuss the pros and cons of such a monumental undertaking and exlain how this our generation’s Manhattan Moment. (But I must admit, like any good sci-fi fangirl, I first thought of Richard Dean Anderson and SG-1.) 🙃
Stargate
The big news yesterday was the announcement of the Stargate Project, which is the modern day equivalent of the Moon Shot or Manhattan Project. It is the US government saying they have sincerely entered the race for AI development, going up against China who is already well on their way.
Stargate is the investment of *half a trillion* dollars by U.S. government committed to a select group of corporate tech giants to build a sweeping network of AI data centers or "campuses" across the country.
💡 Read the announcement for yourself: Announcing The Stargate Project
What This Means in Laymen’s Terms
AI is hungry for data and computing power. It can only be developed on specialized supercomputers that take a ginormous amount of energy and data storage, so specialized facilities must be created to accelerate the development and then maintain the infrastructure to run.
Yesterday, US committed to create 20 ultra-modern data centers capable of handling the massive workloads required for cutting-edge AI technologies. Several have already started being built in Texas.
Sounds exciting, but there is reason for pause...here are my thoughts, having spent the last year studying how AI will affect society.
The Pros:
1) Massive technology breakthroughs in AI development and tools in just about every industry.
2) Catching up to and then matching China’s development and staying competitive.
3) Jobs in the short term to build and man the centers.
4) The most brilliant minds and companies coming together to develop AI. (Note - Elon Musk was excluded.)
5) Potential to transform virtually every industry with the influx of AI technology and tools.
The Cons:
1) The surrounding communities will see their power bills skyrocket in order to build the required power infrastructure grid to accommodate these massive centers. (Please don't build one near me!)
2) The demand for electricity in general will soar, creating a strain on the entire US energy grid and leading to even greater pollution unless a cleaner energy source is found. (There is an incentive for the centers to build their own plants, but we’ll see if that happens.) The North American Electric Reliability Corporation recently pointed out that about half the country could face power shortages within the next decade as demand rises from AI.
3) Higher prices due to lack of competition if the centers are controlled by a single entity.
4) Eventual greater unemployment as AI takes over industries.
5) The potential of robot overlords (Ha! I joke, but only slightly.)
Our Oppenheimer Moment
It’s hard to put into words just how big a statement this project makes. Regardless of the energy grid needs, what will be developed by these centers is the real unknown.
This is our generation’s Manhattan Project. Just as Oppenheimer wasn’t quite sure what he would be unleashing on the world, we are standing at that same precipice now.
Disclosure: No AI was used in writing this newsletter so the thoughts and typos are all mine!
Onward! (Cautiously)
I believe we are stronger together, and so I am sharing my business experience and exploring what’s next for humans in a world where robots can do all of our jobs quicker, cheaper, and, most likely, better. And the ride is about to get a little bumpier, friends. 😬