Breaking news

Amazon To Test AI-Created Material For Carbon Capture In Data Centers

by THEFUTURE.TEAM
December 4, 2024

Amazon is stepping up its environmental efforts by testing a groundbreaking carbon-removal material for its data centers. The company, which is tackling the growing emissions linked to the artificial intelligence systems powering these centers, has partnered with Orbital Materials, a startup that used AI to design the innovative substance.

Jonathan Godwin, CEO of Orbital Materials, explained that the new material acts like an atomic-level sponge, with cavities precisely sized to capture CO2 without interacting with other elements. This targeted approach could be a game-changer in carbon filtration.

One of the appealing aspects of the new material is its cost-effectiveness. Godwin estimates that the material could account for just 10% of the cost associated with renting a GPU chip for AI training, significantly less than the price of traditional carbon offsets.

Meanwhile, the demand for energy in data centers is rising, as AI’s rapid development requires more power and cooling solutions. This surge poses a challenge for Amazon, which is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world’s largest cloud provider by revenue, plans to begin piloting the AI-designed carbon removal material in one of its data centers starting in 2025. This initiative is part of a three-year collaboration with Orbital, which will also gain access to AWS’s technology and open-source AI tools for further development.

Howard Gefen, General Manager of AWS Energy & Utilities, stated that the partnership would promote sustainable innovation, but financial details remain undisclosed. Orbital, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey, and London, began its journey about a year ago by setting up a lab to synthesize AI-designed materials. The startup aims to work with AWS to test additional AI-generated solutions, addressing water usage and cooling requirements in data centers. Godwin co-founded Orbital, which currently employs 20 people and is supported by investors such as Radical Ventures and Nvidia’s venture arm. Before this, Godwin contributed to materials science work at Alphabet’s DeepMind until 2022.

Toyota’s Global Production Declines For 10th Consecutive Month, Yet Sales Show Growth

by THEFUTURE.TEAM
December 26, 2024

Despite a consistent drop in global production, Toyota Motor reported an uptick in worldwide sales for the second month in a row, driven by strong demand in the United States and China.

In November 2024, Toyota’s global output fell to 869,230 vehicles, a 6.2% decrease compared to the same month the previous year. This decline was steeper than the 0.8% drop observed in October.

The company’s production in the U.S. dropped by 11.8%, showing slow recovery. However, the production of models like the Grand Highlander and Lexus TX SUV resumed after a four-month hiatus in late October.

In China, Toyota’s production decreased by 1.6%, a smaller drop compared to the previous month’s 9% decline. The company benefited from higher local sales of models such as the Granvia and Sienna minivans, as well as the electric sedan bZ3, developed jointly with BYD.

As Chinese automakers like BYD gain ground, Toyota has decided to establish an independent plant in Shanghai and plans to start manufacturing electric vehicles for its Lexus luxury brand by 2027, according to a report from Nikkei.

Production in Japan, which accounts for about a third of Toyota’s global output, was down 9.3% in November. This was partly due to a two-day production halt at the company’s Fujimatsu and Yoshiwara plants.

Despite the production challenges, Toyota saw a 1.7% increase in global sales, reaching 920,569 vehicles in November, setting a new record for the month. However, for the period from January to November 2024, global production fell by 5.2% year-over-year, totalling around 8.75 million vehicles. During the same period, global sales declined by 1.2%.

These figures include Toyota’s Lexus brand but exclude sales from its group companies, Hino and Daihatsu.

Uri Levine Course

Become a Speaker

Become a Speaker

Become a Partner

Subscribe for our weekly newsletter