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AI Summit: Altman Defends Energy Use, Skips Handshake
23 Feb
Summary
- Sam Altman questioned AI's environmental impact claims.
- He argued human development also requires significant energy.
- Altman declined a symbolic handshake at the India AI Summit.
The India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi saw industry leaders discuss artificial intelligence, with OpenAI's Sam Altman becoming a focal point. Altman generated significant attention by questioning claims about AI's environmental impact, such as water consumption per query, calling them "untrue" and "insane."
He acknowledged energy concerns for data centers but shifted responsibility to the energy sector to adopt nuclear, wind, and solar power. Altman further courted controversy by comparing AI energy use to the vast energy and resources required for human development over millennia. This remark drew criticism online as "dystopian."
Adding to the summit's dynamic, Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei notably refrained from participating in a symbolic handshake with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other executives, signifying a less unified front than presented. The lack of transparency regarding data center energy and water consumption, often obscured by NDAs, remains a significant issue.
Despite protests and a chaotic atmosphere, the summit generally maintained an optimistic outlook on AI's future. Bill Gates was notably absent from his scheduled keynote due to scrutiny related to the Epstein Files.
