The Download: Nuclear-powered AI, and a short history of creativity ...
Can nuclear power really fuel the rise of AI?
In the AI arms race, all the major players say they want to go nuclear. Over the past year, the likes of Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have sent out a flurry of announcements related to nuclear energy. Some are about agreements to purchase power from existing plants, while others are about investments looking to boost unproven advanced technologies. These somewhat unlikely partnerships could be a win for both the nuclear power industry and large tech companies.
Tech giants need guaranteed sources of energy, and many are looking for low-emissions ones to hit their climate goals. For nuclear plant operators and nuclear technology developers, the financial support of massive established customers could help keep old nuclear power plants open and push new technologies forward. But there’s one glaring potential roadblock: timing. Read the full story.
How creativity became the reigning value of our time
Americans don’t agree on much these days. Yet even at a time when consensus reality seems to be on the verge of collapse, there remains at least one quintessentially modern value we can all still get behind: creativity. Given how much we obsess over it, the concept of creativity can feel like something that has always existed, a thing philosophers and artists have pondered and debated throughout the ages. But according to a new book, The Cult of Creativity, our conception of creativity and what it means is a lot more modern than you may think. Read the full story.
