Elon Musk’s SpaceX has applied to launch one million satellites into Earth’s orbit to power artificial intelligence (AI).

The application claims “orbital data centres” are the most cost and energy-efficient way to meet the growing demand for AI computing power.

Traditionally, such centres are large warehouses full of powerful computers that process and store data. Musk’s aerospace firm claims processing needs due to the expanding use of AI are already outpacing “terrestrial capabilities”.

It would increase the number of SpaceX satellites in orbit drastically. Its existing Starlink network of nearly 10,000 satellites has already been accused of creating congestion in space, which Musk denies.

  • tomiant@piefed.social
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    2 days ago

    You know, I am beginning to think that a single private individual shouldn’t have the power to do things like this.

    • Mihies@programming.dev
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      2 days ago

      Also why is an US agency (well, the Orange in this case) deciding for entire space? The same goes to other countries.

      • MountingSuspicion@reddthat.com
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        2 days ago

        I agree, but unfortunately that same thing happens terrestrially. One country decides to reverse course on renewables and the whole world suffers the consequences. Companies pollute one river and the trash and chemicals can be found worldwide. We have not been good stewards of the earth, and I fear space will just be a continuation of that. I can’t believe AI has found a new way to ruin the environment already. I’d laugh about all the techbros insisting we have to invest in AI because then the AI will solve every problem, only to then have them use AI as an excuse to ruin the environment, but it’s all too much.

        • Mihies@programming.dev
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          2 days ago

          At least there are some international laws for river pollution, I think. But yes, humanity behaves like there’s no tomorrow. AI is a huge environmental (and otherwise) disaster.

  • frunch@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    This mention of a “growing demand for AI computing power” doesn’t make even a shred of sense to me. Who exactly needs even more power for that? We’re fully inundated with this shit, enough is enough.

  • harmbugler@piefed.social
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    2 days ago

    Fucking LOL he’s such a space cadet. Cooling a computer in space is an engineering challenge. Down here on earth you can just blow on it.

  • brillotti@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    The cascading satellite collisions event (Kessler syndrome) might start earlier than I was hoping for. Good grief.

    • Cocodapuf@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Well, this is a stupid idea and it’s probably not going to happen. That said, if someone were to do this, it probably wouldn’t contribute much to Kessler syndrome because you wouldn’t actually want a million free floating satellites, you’d want a million physically connected satellites. Picture satellites designed to link up into a giant grid. Effectively, that’s just adding 1 satellite, built over a thousand launches. And you wouldn’t want it in low earth orbit either, you’d want it higher, where it could get sunlight 24/7 365. And at those middle orbits, between leo and gso, there’s really no competition for space there, that zone is empty.

    • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Dyson Spheres were about surrounding stars and are not necessarily about the singularity.

      But yeah, I could see Grok scrambling the things up and giving fElon the idea of shooting e-waste into space…