44. The Grid (w/ Molly Taft)

About this episode

Molly Taft discusses the intersection of datacenters, AI, and US power infrastructure.

Molly Taft, Senior Writer at Wired, joins us to talk datacenters, AI, US power infrastructure, and big energy. You've almost definitely read her work, especially if you live in the US. This episode absolutely ROCKS and is maybe the most grounded and realistic assessment of the role that all of those above forces play together in our social and political moment. A couple really relevant pieces, including some very very recent pieces. https://www.wired.com/story/a-new-google-funded-data-center-will-be-powered-by-a-massive-gas-plant/ https://www.wired.com/story/senators-demand-to-know-how-much-energy-data-centers-use/ https://www.wired.com/story/new-bernie-sanders-ai-safety-bill-would-halt-data-center-construction/ https://www.wired.com/story/karen-hao-empire-of-ai-water-use-statistics/ https://www.wired.com/story/data-centers-are-driving-a-us-gas-boom/ https://www.wired.com/story/trump-energy-industry-ai-fossil-fuels-pittsburgh-summit/ https://www.wired.com/story/ai-carbon-emissions-energy-unknown-mystery-research/ Seriously, like, this is the only person I've found to be consistently trustworthy with respect to the intersection of energy reporting and tech. Follow her on X…

People in this episode

Hosts: Roberto Alonso Trillo, Marek Poliks, Helena McFadzean

Guest: Molly Taft

Topics covered

• datacenters
• AI
• US power infrastructure
• big energy
• energy reporting
• social and political moment

Keywords

• datacenters
• AI
• energy
• Wired
• US power infrastructure
• Molly Taft
• Bernie Sanders
• energy reporting

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Wired, Google, US, Bernie Sanders, The Verge

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