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The AI boom is driving an explosive surge in computational demands and reshaping the landscape of technology, infrastructure, and innovation. One of the biggest barriers to widespread AI deployment today is access to power. Some estimates suggest AI-driven data centers now consume more electricity than entire nations. The World Economic Forum projects a doubling of energy use by data centers from 2024 to 2027, driven by the energy-intensive nature of AI workloads. This surge in electricity demand is transforming the utilities industry and redefining how and where data centers are builtpower is no longer a given. In the U.S, electricity usage is growing for the first time in over a decade largely because of data center consumption. Meanwhile, big tech is even turning to nuclear power to fuel their long-term AI strategy, while data center builders are searching for land parcels in areas with excess power or resorting to building their own power infrastructure, often relying on natural gas generators. ENTER QUANTUM COMPUTING Quantum computers could be the key to reducing AIs rising energy consumption, offering a more efficient, scalable solution. Unlike traditional computers that evaluate one possibility at a time, quantum computers are designed to explore complex problem landscapes more efficiently, making them well-suited for tackling certain challenges that can be difficult, time-consuming, or costly for classical systems. This enables them to potentially provide solutions faster, at higher quality, and with greater efficiency. While AI excels at uncovering patterns and predictions, quantum computing identifies the most efficient solutions, making these two powerful technologies complementary. Quantum computers address problems that AI and classical methods struggle with, such as factoring large numbers and solving hard optimization challenges like vehicle routing and supply chain structuring. Here are three ways quantum computing could help mitigate the expected disruptive impact of AIs rising computational demands: Optimize data center placement and utility grid management Quantum computing could be used to identify optimal data center locations based on power availability or assist utility companies in streamlining grid planning and management to support both consumer and data center needs. GE Vernova, a global energy company, is using quantum computers today to identify weaknesses in the power grid and optimize responses for potential attacks on the grid. E.ON, a European multinational electric utility company, is now using annealing quantum computing to explore energy grid stability. Unlock opportunities for greater energy efficiency Early research shows the potential for quantum computing to reduce the amount of computational power needed to run AI workflows. A breakthrough published in Science demonstrated that our D-Wave quantum computer solved a magnetic materials simulation problem in minutes using just 12 kilowatts of power. This task would have taken one of the worlds most powerful exascale supercomputers, a massively parallel GPU system, nearly one million years to solve, consuming more electricity than the world uses annually. Applying these quantum computing techniques to blockchain hashing and proof of work could also result in substantial enhancements to security and efficiency, potentially reducing electricity costs by up to a factor of 1,000. Quantum computers are very energy efficient and may soon perform complex computations like those needed for blockchain or AI at a fraction of the power required today.Some of the worlds largest supercomputing facilities are now actively exploring how GPUs and quantum processing units could work together to improve problem solving and reduce energy consumption. In February, Forschungszentrum Jülich, a leading supercomputing center in Germany, purchased an annealing quantum computer to integrate with the Jülich UNified Infrastructure for Quantum computing (JUNIQ). This integration is expected to enable JUNIQ to connect to the JUPITER exascale computer, potentially enabling breakthroughs in AI and quantum optimization. JUPITER is anticipated to surpass one quintillion calculations per second. This will likely be the worlds first pairing of an annealing quantum computer with an exascale supercomputer, providing a unique opportunity to observe the technologys impact on AI computational challenges. Boost model efficiency and performance with quantum AI architectures Early evidence suggests that annealing quantum computers can be integrated into quantum-hybrid AI workflows, which could potentially enhance model efficiency and performance. Japan Tobaccos (JT) pharmaceutical division recently conducted a project that involved using a quantum-hybrid AI workflow to generate new molecules. Using this hybrid approach, JT enhanced the quality of its AI drug development processes, demonstrating that the quantum AI workflow generated more valid molecules with better drug-like qualities compared to classical methods alone.TRIUMF, Canada’s particle accelerator center, recently published a paper in npj quantum information demonstrating the first use of annealing quantum computing and deep generative AI to create novel simulation models for the next big upgrade of CERNs particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Colliderthe worlds largest particle accelerator. Traditional simulations of particle collisions are time-consuming and costly, often running on supercomputers for weeks or months. By merging quantum computing with advanced AI, the team was able to perform complex simulations more quickly, accurately and efficiently. HOW TO ADDRESS AIS POWER DRAIN WITH QUANTUM INNOVATION As AI adoption continues to accelerate, its insatiable demand for computational power is upending industries and straining global power resources. We need a better solution for addressing AIs power demands than simply adding more GPU clusters or building nuclear power plants. From optimizing energy grids and data center placemet to reducing GPU power consumption and enhancing AI model performance, annealing quantum computing offers a promising path forward. Tools like PyTorch plug-ins are even making it easy for developers to incorporate quantum into AI workflows to explore how the technology could address computational challenges. For business leaders navigating the energy-intensive AI era, adopting annealing quantum computing could unlock transformative efficiencies today and tomorrow. Alan Baratz, PhD is CEO of D-Wave.
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E-Commerce
Snapchat rankled some of its most loyal (and heavy) users when it announced last week it will begin charging for storage plans for Memories, its version of a digital archive for Snaps and stories. Even though the Santa Monica, California-based social media company promised that nothing will change for the vast majority of Snapchatters, who have less than 5 gigabytes (GB) of Memories, it will begin rolling out paid storage plans at a yet undisclosed date. A Snapchat spokesperson told Fast Company that a 100 GB storage plan will cost $1.99 per month, with prices varying by market and local currency. The company also told TechCrunch that plans will range up to $15.99 per month, depending on the amount of data of Memories. The company indicated you could have thousands of Snaps saved before youre bumped into a paid plan. But there is a work-around: You can download your data for free. Heres what you need to know if you want to download your Snapchat data. How to save your Snapchat Memories The popularity of the Memories feature, which was introduced by Snapchat in 2016, will now come at a cost. The company said that users have saved more than 1 trillion Memories since 2016, which is why its rolling out the storage plans. Its never easy to transition from receiving a service for free to paying for it, but we hope the value we provide with Memories is worth the cost, the company said in a blog post last week. While Snapchat will provide 12 months of temporary Memories storage for any Memories that exceed the 5GB storage limit, it hasnt specified when that free period will begin. Thats why you may want to be proactive if you really want to hang onto some Memories and download them to your device now. Luckily, thats really easily accomplished. After opening the Snapchat app, navigate to the Memories section, then choose select at the top of the page, and select up to 100 Memories at a time that you want to export. Then select a destination and tap download. If you have more than 100 Memories, youll need to repeat this process. How to save your Snapchat data If you want to squirrel away more data than your Memories, Snapchat is required by laws in various jurisdictions to allow its users to download their personal datawhich is true of other social media platforms, as well. If youve never downloaded this type of data in the past, a slight caveat: Depending on what information youre after and how active a Snapchatter youve been, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of data at your disposal. While you may opt for the kitchen sink approach and download everything you can, those files may include minutiae you dont care about (like your login and search histories), along with more sentimental information you likely do care about (like your Memories and saved chat history). The good news is, you can also select the specific categories of data you want to download. Snapchat doesnt provide all of your information in a single neat filerather, youll receive a zip fileso youll want to be sure you have sufficient storage for the data. Heres the step-by-step process to download whatever Snapchat data you fancy: Open the Snapchat app, go to your profile and navigate to the settings icon Scroll to select My Data Select the specific you want to include in your data download Specify a specific data range of data youd like to download or receive all available data Confirm the email address where youd like to be notified Click submit to officially submit your data request Once your data is ready to be downloaded, youll receive an email from Snapchat with a link where you can access your information. As the company notes, this process can take time to complete, which users report can range from several hours to several weeks. Griping about Snap’s plan What Snapchat is doing, in essence, is transferring the cost of storage over to users. Download all those Memories onto your iPhone, for example, and that will just ratchet up the amount of data you have saved in your iCloud. Nearly two-thirds of Apple customers paid for iCloud storage in 2024, making it Apples most popular paid service, according to CIRP data. But unlike some of its rivals, including Instagram and TikTok, Snapchat is testing the waters of whether its users are willing to pay for storing social media posts. As people have lamented online, this may be the future of all social media platforms, or just another example of so-called subscription creep, in which were all paying for more and more subscriptions for things that once were free. But no matter their gripe, some people see these sorts of moves by social media giants as an excuse to bail. Now give me reasons why I should continue using Snapchat in 2025, one person wrote on Reddit. Oh wait, there arent any except my friends. Added another user on a different subreddit: It would be a shame if we just deleted social media.
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E-Commerce
Former Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers learned all about technology’s volatile highs and lows as a veteran of the internet’s early boom days during the late 1990s and the ensuing meltdown that followed the mania. And now he is seeing potential signs of the cycle repeating with another transformative technology as a whirlwind of investments and excitement about artificial intelligence has propelled the stock market to new highs. Chambers took a similarly meteoric ride in his early days running Cisco, which had a market value of about $15 billion in 1995, when networking equipment suddenly became must-have components for the buildup of the internet. The feverish demand briefly turned the firm into the world’s most valuable company worth $550 billion in March 2000 before the investment bubble burst. The crash caused Cisco’s stock price to plunge more than 80% during a period that Chambers still recalls as the worst of his career. Cisco bounced back to deliver consistent financial growth to help establish Chambers as one of Silicon Valley’s most respected leaders before he stepped down as CEO in 2015, but company’s stock price has never approached the peak it reached a quarter century ago. While remaining Cisco’s chairman emeritus, Chambers is now as fascinated by the AI’s transformative powers as he once was by the internet revolution. Only this time he is advising CEOs as a venture capitalist investing in AI startups rather than running a company himself. Chambers, 76, recently discussed the promise and perils of the AI boom with The Associated Press. The interview has been edited for clarity. Q: Does the current AI mania remind you of the internet boom of the 1990s? A: Absolutely. There are a lot of parallels but there are also some spectacular differences. AI is moving at five times the speed and will produce three times the outcomes of the internet age. In the internet age, a startup would develop products for two years and then in year three, they would take that out into the market. Today, AI startups develop the product in a month and sometimes in a week, and then they bring it to market in one or two quarters. In the internet age, there was an irrational exuberance on a really large scale. In this AI one, there is a lot of tremendous optimism that does indicate a future bubble for certain companies. Is there going to be train wreck? Yes, for those that arent able to translate the technology into a sustainable competitive advantage, how are you going to generate revenue after all the money you poured into it? Q: Do you think AI is going to eliminate a lot of jobs? A: It happened with the internet. The problem this time is that if I am right about AI moving at five times the speed of the internet, we are going to destroy jobs faster than we can replace them. Will we be able to replace them over time? Yes, but there is going to be a drought while we have to re-educate lots of people. Q: Does that worry you? A: Big time! Q: What do we need to be doing to be prepared for this upheaval? A: We need to change education. Entry-level jobs, both white and blue collar, are going to disappear fast. We are creating more productivity, but we have to create more jobs as well. If companies start making more money, they are either going to increase the dividend or invest in new areas. Hopefully, the majority will invest in new areas to create new jobs. You will see successful companies expand and grow dramatically, but you are probably going to see 50% of the Fortune 500 companies disappear and 50% of the executives of the Fortune 500 disappear. They wont have the skills to adjust to this new innovation economy driven by AI because they were trained in silos they were trained to move at the speed of a five-year cycle as opposed to a 12-month cycle. Q: Do you think this is one of the most uncertain times you have ever seen? A: Its the most uncertain time on a global basis, ever. I would argue that this is the new normal. With the speed the market is moving at now, you have to be able to reinvent yourself, which most CEOs and business leaders dont know how to do, especially with AI. Q: Whats your view of how Big Tech has been working with President Donald Trump during his second term in office? A: Lets be realistic. Silicon Valley moved right, there shouldnt be any doubt. They did it for economic reasons. And practicality, they did it for their shareholders but also regulation was getting out of control. They werent able to grow and China was plainly beating us. Q: How worried are you about China? A: I think China has full intention to win at the U.S.s expense. In China, there are no rules, there is no intellectual property, there are no issues about misusing the power. They intend to blow past militarily, economically, and in every other way. I do not view them as a partner, I view them as a serious competitor on all fronts and someone I dont trust. I think over time people are going to recognize its in the U.S.s best interest and its in Chinas best interest for us to get along. So go out 10 years, and thats the most likely outcome. But I think the next five years are going to be really bumpy and dangerous. We should have no illusions that they intend to crush us. Michael Liedtke, AP technology writer
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