The saying used to be the “future is electric”. Today the saying is “now is electric”. Amber has taken a look at the connection between technological innovation in the information space and renewable energy, concluding that the two are interconnected and accelerate each other. Countries that embrace both renewable electricity and high-tech information systems are bound to flourish in the 21st-century whereas countries that rely on old types of energy systems and don’t advance their renewable capabilities will be laggards in the global economy. Their report is an interesting look into the intersection between these electric and technological advances. They call this the electrotech revolution.
? The world runs on two foundations: energy and information. Energy does work; information directs it. The digital
revolution shifted information onto electrons; the electrotech revolution is shifting energy onto electrons as well.? The electrification of information. Over 99% of the world’s storage and communication is already digital, and so runs on electrons. Now, with AI, thinking itself is moving onto electrons too.
? The long term: a new electric world. Electric energy and intelligence promise decentralisation, faster
decarbonisation, greater sovereignty and new-found abundance. But they could also concentrate manufacturing, put dangerous intelligence in every pocket, and entrench autarky. A world of ubiquitous energy and intelligence may be richer and cleverer – but not necessarily wiser
