As the demand for artificial intelligence (AI) surges, a critical energy challenge is emerging. Training advanced AI models can consume more electricity than 120 U.S. homes use in an entire year. With global AI adoption accelerating, projections suggest that data center energy demand could double before 2030. This situation is revealing a major crisis for technological advancement, as the existing power grid struggles to support the burgeoning energy needs of AI.
Lado Okhotnikov, founder of the holistic biotech platform Holiverse, underscores the urgency of the issue. “The problem is becoming especially urgent now, as AI is advancing rapidly and its energy demands are growing just as fast,” he stated. His work emphasizes the intersection of human biology and technology, framing this situation as a systemic challenge that requires immediate attention.
The Shift Towards Renewable Energy
Okhotnikov acknowledges that many are looking towards renewable energy as a solution. “Renewable energy collected on Earth is no longer a fantasy: many countries are actively transitioning to it, and I hope this shift will only accelerate,” he explained. While wind, solar, and geothermal sources are essential, they come with limitations such as geographical constraints and weather variability. These factors raise questions about their ability to sustain a global AI ecosystem that demands constant energy supply.
This prompts a crucial inquiry: what alternatives can support the future of AI? For visionaries like Okhotnikov, the answer lies beyond Earth. “Very soon, we will have to look to space—because the future, without question, belongs there,” he remarked. This leads to the concept of Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP), which envisions vast solar arrays in geostationary orbit, receiving unfiltered sunlight around the clock.
Exploring Space-Based Solar Power
These solar arrays would convert solar energy and transmit it wirelessly to receiving stations on Earth using low-intensity microwaves or lasers. This innovative approach could potentially provide a stable, carbon-free power source accessible worldwide. Such advancements are not merely theoretical; institutions like the European Space Agency, NASA, and various research entities are actively conducting feasibility studies on this technology.
A 2025 analysis for the European energy grid indicated that SBSP systems could serve as a stable backbone for energy supply, complementing the intermittent nature of current renewable sources. “The solar power we can collect here on Earth is only a tiny fraction of what is available in space,” Okhotnikov noted, highlighting the vast potential for energy generation beyond terrestrial limits.
Holiverse aims to integrate this vision into its operations, actively investigating designs and partnerships that align future AI infrastructure with space-generated power. The path to implementing solar power in space is fraught with challenges, including international governance, construction in orbit, transmission efficiency, and launch costs. Nonetheless, advancements in materials science and reusable rocket technology are shifting these challenges into engineering and diplomatic problems that can be addressed.
“We are developing technologies capable of powering the next era of AI,” Okhotnikov stated. “It’s a demanding process that brings together some of the brightest minds in this field, and I believe that in the foreseeable future, we will be ready to take tangible steps toward making this project a reality.” The implications of this shift are profound. By freeing AI from terrestrial energy limitations, researchers could access unprecedented computational power for fields such as material science, personalized medicine, and climate prediction.
In this evolving landscape, the energy provided to AI might become just as significant as the algorithms themselves. As pioneers like Okhotnikov and others continue to explore this frontier, they recognize that to genuinely advance intelligence, humanity must look skyward. Harnessing the sun’s limitless power could be the key to unlocking the next significant breakthroughs in artificial intelligence.
