If you were looking for an inkblot test for your view of big tech's investment in artificial intelligence, you could hardly do better than the news that Google is ordering the construction of at least six small nuclear reactors to power the growth of the technology. Here, in one view, is an enlightened business leveraging its size to invest in infrastructure that could change the world for the better. Here, in another, is a poorly regulated corporation ignoring democratic objections in the brutal race for control of an innovation with great potential to do harm – and leaving the rest of us with little say in its development. Google is making this eye-catching move because the datacentres that power the explosive growth of generative AI consume huge amounts of electricity – more than the existing grid in the US or other western nations can readily supply. For today's newsletter, I spoke to technology journalist Chris Stokel-Walker, author of How AI Ate the World, about why the demand for power is growing so quickly – and whether we can trust big tech to handle the consequences.

Google is officially putting its weight behind advanced "mini" nuclear reactors in an effort to produce new clean to meet growing AI energy demands. On Tuesday, the company announced an agreement with California-based small nuclear reactor (SMR) startup Kairos Power to commission the development of six or seven reactors that could add 500 megawatts of clean energy to the US electrical grid within the next decade. Google's buy-in represents the biggest investment for the experimental new reactor type from a tech company and could play a key in making so-called next-generation nuclear commercially viable. The deal is part of a broader embrace of nuclear power by tech giants who are frantically searching for ways to fuel their increasing energy consumption while attempting to stick to their climate goals. In a blog post, Google said it expects the first of Kairos reactors to come online as early as 2030, with the other five six operational by 2035.

Google has signed a landmark deal to use electricity produced by small nuclear reactors to power artificial intelligence (AI). Under the agreement signed with startup Kairos Power on Monday, the California-based tech giant will back the construction of seven small nuclear reactors capable of generating 500 megawatts of power. The first reactor is scheduled to come online by 2030, with others to follow in the coming years. "The grid needs new electricity sources to support AI technologies that are powering major scientific advances, improving services for businesses and customers, and driving national competitiveness and economic growth," Michael Terrell, the senior director of energy and climate at Google, said in a blog post. "This agreement helps accelerate a new technology to meet energy needs cleanly and reliably, and unlock the full potential of AI for everyone."