Amazon to Pilot AI-Designed Material for Carbon Removal
Amazon to trial AI-designed carbon-removal material for data centers. Orbital Materials' AI technology created the innovative carbon-filtering substance. The new material offers potential cost savings compared to traditional carbon offsets.
In a unique approach, the AI technology itself, developed by the startup Orbital Materials, was responsible for designing the carbon-filtering substance, as explained by the company's Chief Executive, Jonathan Godwin.
Describing the innovation, Godwin stated, "It's like a sponge at the atomic level. Each cavity in that sponge has a specific size opening that interacts well with CO2, that doesn’t interact with other things."
One of the key attractions of this new material is the potential for cost savings. Godwin highlighted that the material accounts for around 10% of the hourly charge to rent a GPU chip for training powerful AI, which is significantly lower than the cost of carbon offsets.
As the demand for energy to support AI development and water for cooling data centers continues to rise, companies like Amazon are faced with the challenge of meeting sustainability goals. Amazon has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world's largest cloud-computing provider by revenue, is planning to introduce the innovative material in one of its data centers starting in 2025, as part of a three-year collaboration with Orbital, according to Godwin. The partnership also involves Orbital utilizing AWS technology and offering its open-source AI to AWS customers.
Howard Gefen, the general manager of AWS Energy & Utilities, expressed that the partnership would drive sustainable innovation. However, Godwin chose not to disclose the financial details of the agreement.
Orbital, with operations in Princeton, New Jersey, and London, established a lab approximately a year ago to produce substances that were initially simulated by its AI technology, Godwin revealed. The startup's goal is to collaborate with AWS to explore additional AI-generated materials to address water consumption and chip cooling in data centers.
Godwin, who co-founded the 20-person company, with backing from Radical Ventures and Nvidia's venture arm, embarked on this venture after leading materials science projects for Alphabet's DeepMind until 2022.
Amazon to trial AI-designed carbon-removal material for data centers.
Orbital Materials' AI technology created the innovative carbon-filtering substance.
The new material offers potential cost savings compared to traditional carbon offsets.
Source: REUTERS
