AI inference to grow 1,000x in 5 years, but power only 10x — where does it run?
antavedissian · x · 2026-11-12
The author lays out a key tension: total AI inference could grow 1,000x over five years while available power grows only 10x. He models five tiers where inference can run: on-device (phone/laptop/robot), on-site servers in homes/stores/factories, small city data centers (1–20 MW), regional data centers (20–100 MW), and giant campuses (100 MW+).
Which tier handles a request comes down to three questions: whether the model fits there, whether the answer must return instantly (voice, robots, cars), and whether the data is allowed to leave the building or country. Beyond that, it runs wherever is cheapest.
Related event: Inference to Grow 1000x in Five Years While Power Grows Only 10x(2 posts)→
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