TEXAS \u2014\u00a0Texas’ data center building boom has come with critical blowback that these campuses suck up vital resources.\u00a0Artificial intelligence models typically require enormous amounts of computer processing power, which generates extreme heat and that requires massive amounts of energy to cool. The race to find sustainable solutions for the growing data center industry is on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One Austin company has developed a private AI platform that can run from a phone rather than relying on large data centers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to get it on device, running in an environment that\u2019s sustainable,\u201d said Tyler Mauer, co-founder of webAI.<\/p>\n
The company develops AI models that target specific domains like health care and military operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we partner with customers, we work on figuring out what model is best for them and how we create a solution that they can actually run cost effectively in their environment,\u201d Mauer said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Running the software from a phone makes it more accessible and less energy consuming.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just plugging in your phone to the wall at night,\u201d Mauer said. \u201cDo you think about how much it costs to toast a piece of bread? Right. Probably not. You use your toaster, and you don’t worry about the electricity cost. It’s the exact same.\u201d<\/p>\n
The use of resources like electricity and the amount of energy and water data centers consume have been points of concern for those who live in communities where data centers are popping up.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince 2024, there is a surge of growth of large load coming to Texas, mainly a lot of them are data centers,\u201d said Ning Lin, the chief economist for the University of Texas\u2019 Bureau of Economic Geology. \u201cThat is also posing gaps and challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n