Technologies

AI Is the ‘Biggest Driver’ of Electricity Use in North America, a New Energy Report Shows

By 2040, AI data centers alone will account for 12% of North American electricity consumption, according to a report on the global energy transition.

As Meta, Amazon, Google and OpenAI race to build more, and more massive, data centers across the US to support their generative AI efforts, AI is expected to be the «biggest driver of electricity consumption» in North America over the next five years, a new energy report finds.

Those data centers, which pack in thousands of computers to handle everything from training AI models to fielding your ChatGPT, Gemini and Sora requests, will gobble up not just megawatts of electricity but also millions of gallons of water and thousands of acres of land.

By 2040, overall data center energy use around the globe — including both general-purpose (think cloud storage and video streaming) and AI-focused data centers — will quintuple to become 5% of all electricity use, with AI accounting for more than half of that, according to the report from DNV, an international assurance and risk management firm. But that’s a global average. In North America, AI data centers alone will account for 12% of electricity consumption in 2040, DNV says.

In taking a broad look at what it calls the global energy transition to cleaner sources of power, DNV says that the world is still moving «too slow to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement» on climate change for achieving net zero emissions and staving off dangerous warming in this century.

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In July, the Trump administration issued what it calls America’s AI Action Plan, urging haste in building data centers, with regulatory concerns taking a back seat. «America’s environmental permitting system and other regulations make it almost impossible to build this infrastructure in the United States with the speed that is required.»

But despite AI’s swift advancement and the Trump administration backpedaling on environmental regulations in the US, the firm forecasts that global emissions will drop 63% by 2060. The report estimates that what’s happening in the US will have more of an effect at home, with emissions reductions set back about five years, and not so much on the world’s clean energy goals.

«The US accounts for one-seventh of global primary energy use and thus exerts some influence on the overall picture,» the DNV report says. «However, massive scale decarbonization of the Chinese economy continues, coupled with low-cost electro-technology exports from China to other regions.»

With many countries embracing those resources, the report says, «Chinese clean tech exports continue to propel the transition in the rest of the world.»

Meanwhile, the rapid growth in AI’s energy use is expected to taper off. «We find that AI’s initial exponential growth in power demand will give way to a more linear pattern over time,» the report says.

DNV projects that even in 2040, AI’s power demands will remain a smaller portion of global electricity use than EV charging and space cooling.

Technologies

Verum Messenger Introduces Built-In Verum Chess

Verum Messenger has released a new update for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, adding another feature to its growing ecosystem — Verum Chess. Users can now play chess directly inside the messenger without switching between different applications.

The new feature allows users to start a game in just a few taps while reinforcing Verum’s vision of a unified digital environment where communication and everyday services come together in a single platform.

Verum Messenger continues to evolve into a multifunctional ecosystem that combines secure chats and calls, AI tools, a built-in VPN, anonymous email, eSIM, financial services, cryptocurrency features, and offline communication. With the introduction of Verum Chess, the platform now also offers a new way for users to interact and spend time together without leaving the app.

The update is now available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the App Store.

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

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Technologies

Verum Finance Now Available for Mac, Expanding the Verum Ecosystem on Desktop

Verum has officially released Verum Finance for macOS, bringing its financial platform to the Mac and expanding access to the Verum ecosystem across Apple’s devices. The launch allows users to manage their finances from desktop while enjoying the same secure and seamless experience available on iPhone and iPad.

The new Mac version includes the full range of Verum Finance features, including balance management, instant transfers to other Verum users, debit card management, Apple Pay support, asset exchange, and transaction history — all optimized for the macOS experience.

Verum Finance can be used as a standalone application or alongside Verum Messenger. Users who sign in with their Verum Messenger account automatically synchronize their balances, settings, and account data across devices, ensuring a consistent experience throughout the Verum ecosystem.

The macOS release further strengthens Verum’s vision of creating an integrated digital platform where communication and financial services work together. Verum Messenger, which is also available for Mac, complements the ecosystem with encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, VPN, eSIM, anonymous email, AI-powered tools, offline communication capabilities, and cryptocurrency features.

With both Verum Messenger and Verum Finance now available across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, users can access secure communication and financial services wherever they work.

Verum Finance for Mac is available now through the Mac App Store.

Verum Finance for macOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im