Monday☕️

Time Is Money

Sep 23, 2024 • 5 min read

Trending:

Microsoft Nuclear Energy Deal
California’s AI Actor Law

Markets:

Past five years of S&P 500 performance:

Past five years of Gold performance:

Past five years of Bitcoin performance:

Microsoft Nuclear Energy Deal:

Microsoft has signed a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy, valued at approximately $1.6 billion, to restart and operate Unit 1 of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. This partnership is aimed at powering Microsoft’s data centers, which are critical for its AI and cloud computing services, with carbon-free nuclear energy.
The reactor, which was previously shut down in 2019 for economic reasons, will undergo significant upgrades and is expected to become fully operational by 2028, pending regulatory approval. The deal emphasizes the growing role of nuclear power as a reliable and sustainable energy source for the tech industry, particularly as companies like Microsoft seek to reduce their carbon emissions while meeting the increasing energy demands of AI.
The reactor will provide over 800 megawatts of power, enough to support Microsoft's expanding infrastructure. Additionally, the project is expected to generate substantial economic benefits, including the creation of around 3,400 jobs and contributing $16 billion to Pennsylvania's economy over the course of the agreement. Other major tech companies have also taken similar steps to secure carbon-free energy sources for their operations. Amazon Web Services (AWS), for instance, has signed a $650 million deal with Talen Energy to power its data centers using nuclear energy from a facility in Pennsylvania.
This agreement reflects a growing trend among tech giants to partner with energy providers that offer consistent and sustainable power solutions, as the demand for electricity rises due to the expansion of cloud computing and AI infrastructure. Like Microsoft, AWS is focusing on long-term, reliable energy sources to meet its sustainability goals and reduce its carbon footprint while scaling operations to meet future demands. These initiatives are part of a broader shift within the tech industry toward integrating more nuclear and renewable energy sources to power their vast data centers and computing needs.

California’s AI Actor Law

On September 19, 2024, California enacted two important laws, AB 1836 and AB 2602, aimed at protecting actors from the unauthorized use of their likenesses and voices through artificial intelligence (AI). These laws respond to growing concerns in the entertainment industry, where AI technology has advanced to the point where it can replicate actors' images or voices without their consent. The legislation seeks to address this issue, ensuring that performers have greater control over how their identities are used in digital formats.
AB 2602 focuses on living actors, requiring explicit consent for AI-generated replicas of their likenesses or voices. It mandates that performers be represented by legal counsel when negotiating contracts involving such digital replicas, helping to ensure they understand the implications of any agreements they enter into. This law covers all performers, offering broader protections across the entertainment industry, which has increasingly relied on AI for digital reproductions in film, television, and other media.
AB 1836, meanwhile, addresses the use of deceased actors' likenesses. Under this law, studios must obtain approval from the estate of a deceased performer before using AI to replicate their image or voice in any commercial media. This regulation helps prevent the exploitation of actors' legacies after death, responding to concerns that AI could be used to recreate deceased performers in new projects without consent.
These new laws were enacted following extensive debates about the ethical use of AI in entertainment. As AI becomes more widely used in the industry, particularly for creating digital replicas of performers, California’s legislation is seen as a significant step in establishing protections for performers' rights. These measures could set a precedent for other states or countries to follow, as the entertainment sector continues to navigate the challenges posed by AI technology.

Statistic: