The demand for energy to support the increasing need for artificial intelligence content is rapidly growing, leading several tech giants to consider investing in nuclear power to meet this demand.
Microsoft, an AI leader, is also leading the charge in transitioning to nuclear power. The Redmond, Wash.-based company said it will restart a reactor at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant.
"I think the Three Mile Island deal, where they're restarting Three Mile Island, is a great step, but we need to do more," said Josh Smith, the energy policy lead at Abundance Insitute. "That's gonna look like reforming regulations around nuclear and making it easier to build new plants."
Meanwhile, Google and Amazon said they plan to build new plants to feed their power need.
Google announced a partnership with Alameda-based Kairos Power to develop small reactors, while Amazon said it will spend $500 million to explore the development of new reactors.
"Energy usage is not going down; it will only increase over time," said Ben Parr, president of Octane AI.
Parr said deals, like the one Google has inked, are necessary as big tech embraces emerging technology.
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"The energy cost is one of the biggest costs and one of the biggest issues for these companies to solve," Parr said. "Nuclear, honestly, is quite a good solution."
Although tech companies are turning towards nuclear energy, their decisions are causing controversy. Some climate activists said that this type of energy is too dangerous and not clean enough.
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Google said its reactors will go online in 2030, and Amazon will do so in 2040.
"We should want a system that builds and grows to meet these demands," Smith said.
