The Next AI Boom Isn’t AI itself.

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the rational review

During the months that I haven’t written a blog or updates regarding AI, it didn’t stop AI from having major developments across all sectors. So even if you are not necessarily interested in AI, the things you are interested in will probably soon incorporate some form of AI.

Normally, the blogs I write are informative and based on research, but today I want to write about a question and an observation in hopes that soon we will find an answer or a solution.

Before stating my multilayered question, I think I should explain what led to it. During the World Economic Forum, which in my opinion is one of the most important ones given how economies and countries are being transformed by AI, I was very interested in what AI leaders had to say. One of the biggest figures, Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, said something that stuck with me something I think about almost every day.

While listening, I had my iPad in my lap, excited to learn more about AI. But what I didn’t expect was that one simple statement would shift my perspective entirely. He said, in essence, that before AI comes energy and infrastructure. And I would add  water.

This simple yet obvious statement created a wave in my mind. I had never really thought about the components that come before AI.

Now, my question:

AI is amazing. It is transformative and unlike anything we have seen before. But to create AI, you need chips. To create chips, you need advanced manufacturing. To run AI systems, you need massive data centers. And to keep those data centers operating, you need enormous amounts of electricity and effective cooling systems  sometimes using water, sometimes advanced air or liquid cooling technologies.

So the real problem becomes: how will we sustain AI?

How much physical space will we have for data centers? How much energy can we realistically generate? How much water will be used for cooling in certain systems? And more importantly what happens if we reach a point where we cannot sustainably support this growth?

This is where my observation comes in.

We are moving past the initial AI boom. The next wave will not just be another AI startup it will be solutions to sustain AI itself. The next “boom” will come from individuals or companies that solve this problem.

Because sustaining AI is not just a technical challenge  it’s an environmental, economic, and infrastructural one.

We are already seeing early attempts. For example, companies like Microsoft have experimented with underwater data centers (Project Natick), exploring ways to improve cooling efficiency. There are also developments in renewable powered data centers, and more efficient AI chips that require less energy.

This is just the beginning of a chain reaction  new ideas focused not on creating AI, but on maintaining it.

That’s why, over time, I want to research different ways to sustain AI and take you all on that journey with me.

Lastly, when I think about who might lead this change, I think about the UAE.

The UAE is a pivot of sustainability  not just environmentally, but structurally and strategically. What differentiates it is not just the ability to create ambitious projects, but the ability to build strong foundations, follow through completely, and think long-term.

Many places focus on creating ideas. The UAE focuses on sustaining them.

That mindset is exactly what AI needs.

Many people label AI as a villain  something that will harm the planet. But I think it has the potential to do more good than bad, if we learn how to sustain it while simultaneously making it more efficient and environmentally responsible.

Because those two things go hand in hand.

Let me know what you think.