Elon Musk has shared his thoughts on what could spell the end for artificial intelligence (AI) on our planet.
The tech mogul believes there is a singular path for this technology, which plays a major role in the United States economy, to continue its expansion.
AI relies on an extensive network of databases and servers that require substantial power to operate.
Concerns have been raised about the rising costs of RAM hard drives due to the increasing demand from AI companies for this hardware.
Musk has now shared his vision for how AI might sustain its growth, stating on a recent podcast that there’s a limited timeframe to implement this idea.
Speaking on the Dwarkesh Podcast, Musk proposed that relocating AI systems to space could ensure they receive the power needed to function on a larger scale instead of relying on Earth-based resources.
“My prediction is that by far the cheapest place to put AI will be space in 36 months or less, maybe 30 months,” he stated. “Less than 36 months, mark my words.”
The Tesla CEO highlighted that the energy requirements for AI make it challenging to generate enough power on Earth.
“All of the United States currently uses only about half a terawatt of power on average,” Musk explained. “Imagine trying to build enough power plants to double that. People don’t realize how hard that actually is.”
He argued that situating AI in space could leverage solar cells efficiently.
“Solar cells are already very cheap, around 25 to 30 cents a watt in China,” he noted. “Put them in space and it’s effectively 10 times cheaper because you don’t need batteries.”
With confidence, Musk predicted: “We will be launching and operating more AI in space every year than the cumulative total on Earth.”
He elaborated: “You start thinking in terms of what percentage of the Sun’s power you’re harnessing. Then you realize you have to go to space. You can’t scale very much on Earth.”
The discussion around AI has become contentious, with many pointing to the immense pressure it places on power grids and the water needed to maintain server operations.
Generative AI, in particular, has faced scrutiny, with critics claiming it merely replicates the work of human artists.
Meanwhile, Grok, the AI model implemented on Musk’s platform X, faced backlash after users used it to digitally alter images of women and children, an issue Musk has addressed.
Despite these controversies, as investors continue to inject billions into AI advancement, only time will tell if Musk’s vision will materialize.