Feed aggregator

• Nintendo Switch 2 GameChat will require a phone number to use
• This will presumably help prevent children from accessing the service without permission
• It offers voice calls out of the box or video calls with the optional Nintendo Switch 2 camera accessory

The Nintendo Switch 2 GameChat feature will require a mobile phone number to use.

As spotted by Notebookcheck, this was disclosed on the 'Ask the Developer Vol. 17, GameChat – Chapter 1' interview on the Nintendo website.

"Mobile phone number registration required to use GameChat. Children must get approval from a parent or guardian via the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app to use GameChat," a small notice towards the top of the page reads.

The US GameChat section of the site expands on this a little further, explaining that "as an additional security measure, text message verification is required to set up GameChat."

This is the same phone number registered to your Nintendo account. Presumably, those who are banned from using GameChat for poor behavior would be unable to use the same phone number to access it on another account.

The requirement is also likely intended to help prevent children from accessing the service without parental permission, which is required for those under the age of 16. Children that young are unlikely to have access to a mobile phone, potentially easing some parental concerns that GameChat could be used to communicate with strangers online.

Although it can be used via the console's in-built microphone, GameChat is also compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 camera accessory. Sold separately, the Nintendo Switch 2 camera allows for video chat functionality.

You are only able to start GameChat sessions with people on your Nintendo friends list, who must be invited to the session.

The Nintendo Switch 2 launches globally on June 5. UK pre-orders and US pre-orders are now live.

You might also like...

• Missed out on a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order? GameStop and Best Buy will have more stock on the console's launch date
• The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller is already doing one thing better than the DualSense Edge and other premium gamepads
• The newly revealed Logitech G522 Lightspeed could become the new mid-range wireless gaming headset to beat

In her order, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said the president may not initiate large-scale executive branch reorganization without approval from Congress.

(Image credit: Kayla Bartkowski)

• The Earfun Tune Pro cost $69.99 / £59.99 (about AU$108) at launch
• Hi-Res Audio, dual drivers and Bluetooth 5.4
• Hybrid ANC to block 45dB of unwanted audio

EarFun is carving out an enviable reputation for its high-quality and low-priced headphones such as the 4.5-star EarFun Wave Pro. And now there's an even higher spec pair of over-ears with a refreshingly low price.

The new EarFun Tune Pro have an impressive specification and cost just $69.99 /£59.99 at launch thanks to a coupon that knocks $20 / £20 off their official $89.99 / £79.99 price – and that means this lower price is effectively the 'real' price, and whenever they're the higher price, that just means a deal is coming soon and retailers want to show a nice discount amount.

• Earfun Tune Pro for $69.99 at Amazon US
• Earfun Tune Pro for £59.99 at Amazon UK

That lower price for these kind of features, and a dual-driver speaker setup, is extremely tempting.

We wouldn't expect these headphones to go head to head with something like a pair of Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3. But we've been consistently impressed by EarFun's value for money, and if these new 'phones surpass the "admirable" sound quality of the Wave Pro (as described by our review) they could be a great budget buy.

If they're really good, they might even restore EarFun's crown as maker of the best noise cancelling headphones for budget buyers, an honor that was recently passed to EarFun's arch-rival 1More.

EarFun Tune Pro: key features

The Tune Pro are dual-driver headphones with a large 40mm PET composite film driver and an additional 10mm LCP polymer driver for the higher-frequency sounds.

The idea of a driver pair like this is the that the large driver can focus more on low-end sounds, and the smaller driver can focus on the upper end, and the overall depth of sound should be improved compared to a single driver. But as with all audio engineering, it depends on execution.

Also included is a new Theater Mode sound profile for "enhanced 2-channel stereo and 360-degree spatial sound formats".

There's hybrid ANC promising noise reduction of up to 45dB, and a five-microphone setup with AI for clear voice calls. Battery life is up to 120 hours (presumably with ANC off, but that's a very impressive number in any case), and you can listen in cabled mode as well as wireless.

Bluetooth is 5.4 with multi-point and a low-latency mode for gaming, and the headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified, although EarFun hasn't published details of supported audio quality or wireless codecs; if you squint at the promotional images you'll see the small print that Hi-Res certification only applies to listening in wired mode.

The new EarFun Tune Pro headphones are available now from EarFun and from Amazon.

• Earfun Tune Pro for $69.99 at Amazon US
• Earfun Tune Pro for £59.99 at Amazon UK

You might also like

• The best cheap noise canceling headphone sales and deals
• The best over-ear headphones 2025 for all budgets, tested by us
• The best cheap headphones 2025, all tested by our experts

• Ive and Altman announced their company, io, was purchased by OpenAI yesterday
• The two entrepreneurs are working on creating the next generation of AI hardware
• A new report claims the device will look like an iPod Shuffle and can be worn around your neck, like a necklace

Jony Ive and Sam Altman just announced an AI device made by their company, io, is in the works. Now we've got even more info about the mysterious product, and it's rumored to look like an iPod Shuffle.

According to industry insider and renowned leaker Ming-Chi-Kuo, the current OpenAI ChatGPT hardware prototype "is slightly larger than the AI Pin, with a form factor as compact and elegant as an iPod Shuffle."

Kuo revealed multiple new insights into the product on X, detailing that io's product is expected to enter mass production at the start of 2027.

Kuo says while the design and specifications may change before the device enters mass production, it's expected to "have cameras and microphones for environmental detection, with no display functionality."

Not only is the device expected to look like an iPod Shuffle that can be worn around your neck, but it is also "expected to connect to smartphones and PCs, utilizing their computing and display capabilities."

This information gives us a much deeper insight into what the io product actually is, following OpenAI's $6.5 billion acquisition of the company.

In the announcement video, Ive, famous for designing the first iPhone, and Altman, OpenAI's CEO, talked for nine-minutes in a café without really giving information on what the product is, other than it's "an extraordinary moment", and that whatever the pair are working on is going to completely revolutionize the way we interact with artificial intelligence.

My industry research indicates the following regarding the new AI hardware device from Jony Ive's collaboration with OpenAI:1. Mass production is expected to start in 2027.2. Assembly and shipping will occur outside China to reduce geopolitical risks, with Vietnam currently the… pic.twitter.com/5IELYEjNyVMay 22, 2025

So... It's basically an AI Pin

After reading Kuo's report, it's now clearer than ever that this upcoming product is essentially going to be a better version of the Humane AI Pin. Essentially, it's ChatGPT in a small product you can throw in your pocket or wear around your neck.

While this gives us further indication into what to expect, there's still a long time before io's first product enters mass production and that could mean major changes over the next year.

Kuo says, "AI integrated into real-world applications, often termed "physical AI," is widely recognized as the next critical trend", and while we may not understand the necessity for these products yet, in two years time everyone might be interacting with ChatGPT and other AI models in a whole new way.

You might also like

• Sam Altman and Jony Ive’s mysterious ‘AI-powered computer’ will be OpenAI’s magnum opus - here are 5 clues that hint at what it will be
• Google Gemini 2.5 Flash promises to be your favorite AI chatbot, but how does it compare to ChatGPT 4o?
• I pitched the new Google Gemini against ChatGPT for AI image generation – and the results shocked me

• A leak has detailed the claimed specs of Nvidia’s RTX 5080 Super
• Some gamers might see this refreshed GPU as underwhelming – it doesn’t add any extra cores into the mix, notably
• However, there are robust upgrades elsewhere with the video memory and also clock speeds

Another rumor about Nvidia’s RTX 5080 Super has been aired and we’ve got a look at what are supposedly the full specs of this GPU.

As VideoCardz pointed out, leaker Kopite7kimi has posted the claimed specs for the rumored graphics card on X, and that may mean Nvidia has just provided said details to its graphics card making partners (and they leaked from there). Or, it might mean precisely nothing, because as ever, rumors, much like demons, need considerable salting.

GeForce RTX 5080 SuperPG147-SKU35GB203-450-A110752FP32256-bit GDDR7 24G 32Gbps400+WMay 20, 2025

The key parts of the specifications are that the RTX 5080 Super will supposedly use the same GPU as the RTX 5080, which is the GB203 chip. As the RTX 5080 has already maxed out the cores on that chip, the core count will be the same with the Super version of this graphics card – there’s no room to maneuver to increase it.

The big upgrade comes from the leap from 16GB to 24GB of video RAM (VRAM), and as well as that 50% uplift, the leaker believes Nvidia is going to use faster memory modules here (32Gbps rather than 30Gbps).

We’re also told that the TDP of the RTX 5080 Super is going to sit at 400W, or it might use even more power than that.

Analysis: Crunching the specs and not forgetting about clocks

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Looking at those specs, you might think: how is the RTX 5080 Super going to be a tempting upgrade on the vanilla version of the GPU? It has the same CUDA core count, and somewhat faster video memory, but only around 7% more VRAM bandwidth than the RTX 5080. So, what gives?

Well, don’t forget that added to that VRAM boost, the RTX 5080 Super is expected to have considerably faster clock speeds. Pushing those clocks faster is why this incoming GPU is going to chug more than 400W (perhaps a fair bit more) compared to 360W for the plain RTX 5080.

So, if you’re worried that the RTX 5080 Super may represent an underwhelming prospect in terms of an upgrade over the RTX 5080, don’t be. (Although you may have concerns about your PC’s power supply instead). All this is in line with previous speculation that we’ll see something like a 10% performance boost with the RTX 5080 Super versus the basic version of the GPU, or maybe even slightly more (up towards 15%, even).

Plus that much bigger allocation of 24GB of VRAM is going to make a difference in some scenarios where 4K gaming coupled with very high graphics settings gets more demanding with certain games. (A situation that’s only going to get worse as time rolls on, if you’re thinking about future-proofing, which should always be something of a consideration).

On top of this is the fact that Nvidia is falling out of favor in the consumer GPU world, with AMD’s RDNA 4 graphics cards making a seriously positive impact on Team Red’s chances – and sales. The latest RX 9060 XT reveal has pretty much gone down a treat, too, so I don’t think Nvidia can risk damaging its standing with PC gamers any further, frankly, by pushing out subpar Super refreshes.

Speaking of refreshes – with the emphasis on the plural – previous rumors have also theorized an RTX 5070 Super graphics card with 18GB of VRAM is on the boil, but that’s notably absent from Kopite7kimi’s post here. That doesn’t mean it isn’t happening, but it could be read as a sign that the RTX 5080 Super is going to arrive first.

Again, previous spinning from the rumor mill indicates a very broad 2025 release timeframe for the RTX 5080 Super, but if the specs really are decided on at this stage – and it’s a huge if – that suggests Nvidia intends to deploy this GPU sooner, rather than later, this year.

You might also like

• Nvidia RTX 5080 vs RTX 5070 Ti: Should you spend a little more?
• Nvidia RTX 5080 review: nearly RTX 4090 performance for a whole lot less
• AMD could be working on a faster RX 9070 Extreme graphics card

• Samsung's next budget earbuds have leaked again
• Regulatory filings show much bigger batteries than the Galaxy Buds FE
• Expect pricing around $99 / £99 / AU$149

Earlier this month we reported that the incoming new pair of Samsung affordable earbuds – possibly called the Samsung Galaxy Buds Core and the likely successor to the Galaxy Buds FE – could deliver a much-needed battery boost, with significantly enhanced battery capacity in both of the buds and in the case too. That information came via leaked regulatory filings, and now another leak adds more confirmation.

This time the leaks are from Samsung. As Sammobile reports, support pages for the imminent earbuds are now live on Samsung's portals including the ones in Russia, Turkey and the UAE.

And in a sheer coincidence, the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE appear to be out of stock in most of those markets.

There's some speculation that the new earbuds will more closely resemble the Galaxy Buds 3 (Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Buds Core: what we know so far

It looks like the battery capacity is up from 60mAh per bud to 100mAh, and from 479mAh to 500mAh for the case. Factor in the expected chipset improvements from newer hardware, and that could mean a significant boost to the buds' playback time. The current Buds FE deliver about six hours with ANC on and nine with it off.

The new model number is SM-R410 (the Galaxy Buds FE were SM-400) and there is speculation that we'll see a new design, possibly closer visually to the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3; that would make room for those bigger batteries.

Samsung hasn't announced these buds yet, so we don't know pricing or availability, but clearly if support pages are going up then a product launch can't be too far away.

We'd expect the new buds to be priced similarly to the Galaxy Buds FE, subject to tariff-related hikes: those launched at $99 / £99 / AU$149 in 2023.

You might also like

• Samsung Galaxy Buds 3: official price, release date and more
• Our in-depth Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review
• The best earbuds 2025 for every budget, all tested by us

NPR asked researchers, advocates, tax experts, a parent and a public school leader for their thoughts on this first-of-its-kind national voucher plan. Here's what they said.

• The tri-fold Samsung phone might cost $3,000-$3,500
• However, it's likely to be limited to South Korea and China
• A launch has been predicted for sometime in July

We've been ready and waiting for the Samsung tri-fold phone for months now – remember it was officially teased back in January – and as its launch gets closer, there's a new leak hinting at a high price for the foldable.

This comes from well-respected tipster Yogesh Brar, who says we can expect a price tag of around $3,000-$3,500. With a straight currency conversion at today's rates (which Samsung won't use), that's £2,225-£2,595 or AU$4,650-AU$5,425.

However, if you live in a country using any of those currencies, it sounds like you're not going to be able to spend your cash on this device. Brar reckons the handset is launching in "limited quantities", and only in South Korea and China (as previously rumored).

Samsung has previous form for this, because last year's Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition has also been limited to South Korea and China. Perhaps the company isn't sure what the demand for these very expensive foldables would be like globally.

One more fold

Galaxy Tri-fold all set to launch in Q3 this yearSamsung is only launching it in 2 markets : South Korea & ChinaLimited quantities with a price between $3000 - 3500May 21, 2025

That high price isn't much of a surprise of course. As our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review will tell you, that phone launched at a starting price of $1,899.99 / £1,799 / AU$2,749, and the new model will come with a bigger screen and an extra hinge.

Then there's the Huawei Mate XT, which costs 19,999 yuan in China. That's roughly $2,775 / £2,060 / AU$4,305 at today's conversion rates. These are clearly expensive and difficult to make, and that means high prices and limited production runs.

Since rumors of a Samsung tri-fold first started swirling, we've heard that the handset could be called the Galaxy G Fold, and that it'll share the same hinge technology expected to appear in the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

The tri-fold, the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 are all expected to be announced at an Unpacked event sometime in July, though on-sale dates may vary. At the same launch, we should also see the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 8.

You might also like

• Samsung's next foldables tipped for a titanium upgrade
• Here's how big the Samsung tri-fold might be
• Samsung tri-fold phone could come with a folding battery

• BT-owned Openreach confirms plans to speed up full fibre rollout
• 18 million properties are connected – 25 million by 2026, 30 million by 2030
• BT also confirmed a deal to target "hard-to-reach" properties in South and West Wales

UK broadband network and infrastructure giant Openreach has committed to rolling out full fibre broadband across the UK more quickly after acknowledging that only 37% of customers are connected to the network.

The news coincides with an undisclosed "increased investment" from BT Group – Openreach's owner.

According to the company, more than 18 million homes and businesses nationwide have benefitted from new infrastructure, including four million in the past year, but with an extra cash injection from BT, it hopes to e

Openreach wants more homes and businesses to have full fibre

Openreach "now expects to accelerate towards its target of reaching 25 million premises by December 2026," a press release reads, noting how the company's build rate is expected to increase by 20%.

The BT-owned network and infrastructure firm says it's seen record demand over the past year, connecting one customer to its full fibre network every 17 seconds.

"We’re bringing life changing connectivity to all corners of the country, and we’re determined to go further and faster, so we’re proud of the confidence being shown in us through this investment," Openreach CEO Clive Selley said.

That growth is expected to continue into the end of the decade. Openreach envisions 30 million properties being connected to its full fibre network by 2030, adding a further five million after its December 2026 target.

BT recently confirmed a £9.8 million contract to extend its full fibre network to 1,800 "hard-to-reach sites" in Pembrokeshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire.

BT Group CEO Allison Kirkby added: "Our new network is helping to grow the economy, create jobs, delight customers and deliver value to our shareholders."

You might also like

• Make the most of strong connections with the best business laptops
• We've rounded up the best business broadband deals you can get this month
• Nokia is bringing ridiculously fast 50Gbps broadband to the UK as the global race for hyperfast internet heats up

• The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller's GL/GR buttons have some handy features
• You can remap them without exiting your game session
• Furthermore, the assignments will be saved on a per-game basis

The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller has a bit of an ace up its sleeve, and it relates to the remappable GL/GR buttons found on the rear of the pad.

A spotlight for the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller was featured on the Nintendo Today mobile app (spotted by GamesRadar), showcasing some of the functionality of these extra buttons.

It confirmed that the GL/GR buttons have a couple of fantastic quality-of-life features that are sorely missing from the likes of the DualSense Edge and Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 - two premium gamepads that also house additional remappable buttons.

With the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, the major difference is that the GL/GR remappable buttons can be assigned (and reassigned) without backing out of your current play session.

By holding down the Home button, you'll gain access to a 'quick settings' menu, within which you can assign the GL/GR buttons instantaneously. Furthermore, the controller will remember which inputs have been assigned to these buttons on a per-game basis.

This differs greatly from, for example, the DualSense Edge. While Sony's controller has a pair of exceptionally handy Function switches that let you swap button profiles on the fly, said profiles still need setting up in a separate menu on your PS5's dashboard.

For Nintendo Switch 2 games, this makes it incredibly easy to quickly assign a secondary input to the GL/GR buttons, but also test it out immediately to see how it feels in-game.

Quick remappable button assignment, in and of itself, is nothing new. Plenty of the best Nintendo Switch controllers feature button combination macros that let you remap on the fly. The downside here, though, is that this can be quite cumbersome, and you'll often need to dig into a controller's instruction manual to figure out what these macros are.

We're now less than a couple of weeks away from the Nintendo Switch 2's launch on June 5. Be sure to check out TechRadar Gaming around that time, as we'll have plenty of coverage on the console, its hardware, and games in the months to come.

You might also like...

• The newly revealed Logitech G522 Lightspeed could become the new mid-range wireless gaming headset to beat
• Vertagear announces new partnership with Audi to launch a gaming chair collection and you can pre-order them right now
• Secretlab's new Warhammer 40,000 sit-to-stand desk is one of the coolest pieces of licensed gear I've ever seen

• Marvel has delayed the release of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars
• The movies were supposed to arrive in May 2026 and May 2027
• Their worldwide launch dates have been pushed back seven months

Marvel has delayed the release of Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel.

In a move that won't come as a surprise to many, the comic titan has pushed back the launch dates for Doomsday and its follow-up Avengers: Secret Wars.

The pair had been slated to land in theaters on May 1, 2026 and May 7, 2027. Now, you can expect to see Doomsday release in theaters worldwide seven months later than planned, with Avengers 5 now set to arrive on December 18, 2026 and Secret Wars' launch pushed to December 17, 2027.

The next two Avengers movies are set to be the biggest undertakings in Marvel Studios' history. Per Deadline, sources close to the production of both films say they're among the most ambitious projects that parent company Disney has ever produced, too. To quote Thanos, then, it was inevitable that Marvel would need more time to make both flicks.

Why Avengers 5 and 6's release-date delays are so significant

Marvel hasn't said what impact Doomsday's delayed release will have on its other projects (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Make no mistake, Disney and Marvel have made the right call to delay the release of Doomsday and Secret Wars. The overall response to Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) projects since 2019's Avengers: Endgame has been mixed. While some films and Disney+ shows have been critical and commercial successes, others haven't been greeted as enthusiastically or made as much money as Marvel would have hoped.

Disney and Marvel can't afford to fumble the proverbial bag with Doomsday and Secret Wars, especially given the amount of money it'll collectively cost to make them. Add in the talent behind and in front of the camera – Avengers: Doomsday's initial cast alone is 27-deep – and the pressure to deliver two more top-tier Avengers movies is most certainly on.

The release of Spider-Man's next MCU adventure could be pushed back, too (Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Entertainment)

Their release date postponements also raise other potential issues.

For starters, Doomsday and Secret Wars' delay could have a significant impact on Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The webslinger's next big-screen adventure was set to arrive between the pair, with its initial launch date penciled in for July 24, 2026. Spider-Man 4 suffered its own release setback in February, but its launch was only delayed by a week to July 31, 2026.

The big question now is whether Brand New Day will swing into cinemas on that revised date. Depending on which online rumors you believe, Spider-Man 4 will either be a multiverse-style movie like Spider-Man: No Way Home was, or a more grounded, street-level flick.

If it's the former, and if Brand New Day's plot is dependent on events that occur in, or run parallel to, Avengers: Doomsday, the next Spider-Man movie's launch date will likely have to be pushed back again.

Should Brand New Day be moved into 2027, we could see a repeat of 2023 when only one MCU film – Deadpool and Wolverine – landed in theaters, with 2026's sole Marvel movie being Doomsday. That's on the basis that Avengers 5, aka the second Marvel Phase 6 film, doesn't suffer another release date setback.

Will Marvel decide to move some of its 2025 Disney+ offerings into early 2026? (Image credit: Marvel Television/Disney Plus)

These delays could have a huge knock-on effect for Marvel's small-screen offerings, too.

If Brand New Day keeps its mid-2026 launch date, a whole year will have passed between the final MCU film of 2025 – The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which arrives on July 25 – and Tom Holland's next outing as Peter Parker's superhero alias. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it means MCU devotees will look to Disney+, aka one of the world's best streaming services, for their Marvel fix.

Fortunately, Marvel has plenty of TV-based MCU content in the pipeline. From Ironheart's release in late June to Daredevil: Born Again season 2's launch next March, there are currently five live-action and animated series set to debut on Disney's primary streamer.

In light of Doomsday's delay, though, will Marvel tweak its Disney+ lineup and further spread out its small-screen content to fill the void?

Right now, Born Again's second season is the only series confirmed to arrive in 2026. There are other shows in the works that are expected to debut next year, but they aren't likely to be ready until mid- to late 2026. To offset a potentially months-long barren spell in the MCU that Doomsday's delayed release has caused, Marvel might opt to push animated series Eyes of Wakanda or Wonder Man, the final live-action MCU TV show of 2025, into early 2026.

I guess we'll find out more about any further release-schedule changes when Marvel takes to the Hall H stage for its now-annual presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, the 2025 edition of which runs from July 24-27.

You might also like

• New Avengers: Doomsday behind-the-scenes images from Robert Downey Jr are getting Marvel fans excited about his portrayal of Doctor Doom
• New Marvel leak might have revealed Spider-Man: Brand New Day villains – and there could be three of them
• The Marvel multiverse saga isn't over yet, but these X-Men movie casting rumors are already making me rage like Wolverine

Grilling usually involves burning fossil fuel. But some manufacturers are offering electric grills and citing climate change and convenience as reasons to switch.

(Image credit: Jeff Brady)

In honor of National Don't Fry Day, here's what you should know about checking for skin cancer at home and when to see a doctor.

The U.S. has officially accepted a luxury jetliner from Qatar as a gift, and slated it to become a new Air Force One. Experts say that overhaul could take years and cost hundreds of millions.

(Image credit: Roberto Schmidt)

Tush pushes, prison breaks, luxury jets and orange cats: This week's quiz is the usual potpourri of the silly and sublime. Actually, not the latter.

Nina Badzin, host of a friendship podcast, explains why staying friends with people from our past matters — and how to nurture relationships with old friends across time and distance.

Loving Day, the landmark case that overturned U.S. state laws against interracial marriage, is on June 12. NPR wants to hear from people who celebrate this day.

(Image credit: Kevork Djansezian)

Today, artificial intelligence is revolutionizing virtually every industry, but its rapid adoption also comes with a significant challenge: energy consumption.

Data centers are racing to accommodate the surge in AI-driven demand and are consuming significant amounts of electricity to support High-Performance Computing, cloud computing services, and the many digital products and services we rely on every day.

Why are we seeing such a spike in energy use? One reason is heavy reliance on graphics processing unit (GPU) chips, which are much faster and more effective than processing tasks. More than just an advantage, this efficiency has now made GPUs the new standard for training and running AI models and workloads.

Yet it also comes at a high cost: soaring energy consumption. Each GPU now requires up to four times more electricity than a standard CPU, an exponential increase that is quickly – and dramatically – changing demands for energy in the data center.

For example, consider these recent findings:

The New York Times recently described how OpenAI hopes to build five new data centers that would consume more electricity than the three million households in Massachusetts.

According to the Center on Global Energy Policy, GPUs and their servers could make up as much as 27 percent of the planned new generation capacity for 2027 and 14 percent of total commercial energy needs that year.

A Forbes article predicted that Nvidia’s Blackwell chipset will boost power consumption even further – a 300% increase in power consumption across one generation of GPUs with AI systems increasing power consumption at a higher rate.

These findings raise important power-related questions: Is AI growth outpacing the ability of utilities to supply the required energy? Are there other energy options data centers should consider? And maybe most importantly, what will data center’s energy use look like in both the short- and long-term future?

Navigating Power Supply and Demand in the AI Era

Despite growing concerns, AI has not yet surpassed the grid’s capabilities. In fact, some advancements suggest that AI energy consumption could even decreases. Many AI companies expended vast amounts of processing power to train their initial models, but newer players like DeepSeek now claim that their systems operate far more efficiently, requiring less computing power and energy.

However, AI’s sudden rise is only one factor in a perfect storm of energy demands. For example, the larger electrification movement, which has introduced millions of electric vehicles to the grid, and the reshoring of manufacturing to the U.S., is also straining resources. AI adds another layer to this complex equation, raising urgent questions about whether existing utilities can keep pace with demand.

Data centers, as commercial real estate, are also subject to the age-old adage, “location, location, location.” Many power generation sites – especially those harnessing solar and wind – are located in rural places in the United States, but transmission bottlenecks make it difficult to move. That power to urban centers where demand is highest. Thus far, geodiversity and urban demand have not yet driven data centers to these remote areas.

This could soon change. Hyperscalers have already demonstrated their willingness and agility in building data centers in the Arctic Circle to take advantage of natural cooling to reduce energy use and costs. A similar shift may take hold in the U.S., with data center operators eyeing locations in New Mexico, rural Texas, Wyoming, and other rural markets to capitalize on similar benefits.

Exploring Alternative Energy Solutions

As strain on the grid intensifies, alternative energy solutions are gaining traction as a means of ensuring a stable and sustainable power supply.

One promising development is the evolution of battery technology. Aluminum-ion batteries, for example, offer several advantages over lithium-based alternatives. Aluminum is more abundant, sourced from conflict-free regions, and free from the geopolitical challenges associated with lithium and cobalt mining. These batteries also boast a solid-state design, reducing flammability risks, and their higher energy density enables more efficient storage, which helps smooth out fluctuations in energy supply and demand – often visualized as the daily “duck curve.”

Nuclear energy is also re-emerging as a viable solution for long-term, reliable power generation. Advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) offer a scalable, low-carbon alternative that can provide consistent energy without the intermittency of renewables.

However, while test sites are under development, SMRs have yet to begin generating power and may still be five or more years away from large-scale deployment. Public perception remains a key challenge, as strict regulations often require plants to be situated far from populated areas, and the long-term management of nuclear waste continues to be a concern.

Additionally, virtual power plants (VPPs) are revolutionizing the energy landscape by connecting and coordinating thousands of decentralized batteries to function as a unified power source. By optimizing the generation, storage, and distribution of renewable energy, VPPs enhance grid stability and efficiency. Unlike traditional power plants, VPPs do not rely on a single energy source or location, making them inherently more flexible and resilient.

Securing a Sustainable Power Future for AI and Data Centers

While it’s hard to predict what lies ahead for AI and how much more demand we’ll see, the pressure is on to secure reliable, sustainable power, now and into the future.

As the adoption of AI tools accelerates, data centers must proactively seek sustainable and resilient energy solutions. Embracing alternative power sources, modernizing grid infrastructure, and leveraging cutting-edge innovations will be critical in ensuring that the power needs of AI-driven industries can be met – now and in the years to come.

We list the best web hosting services.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

People blame gun violence on different things depending on their political leanings. But Jens Ludwig, an economist at the University of Chicago, has found a different reason behind it. Today, we bring you a story on solutions to gun violence.

Today's StoryCorps is about a love that lasted through the seasons. Patrice Hudson was apprehensive about online dating until she met Byron Ball, a high school science teacher who, like her, was a single parent and had been married before.