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Power Play

Quartz

AI needs more power, faster than America has ever built it. Power Play is a six-part investigation from Quartz into the bottlenecks, the fixes, and the economics at the core of AI development.

Hosted by Marco Pimentel. Reported by Jackie Snow, Catherine Baab-Muguira, and Joseph Zeballos-Roig. New episodes releasing weekly from September 15.

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  • 21 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 26 min
  • English

Episodes 21

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Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • S9 · E5
    September 29 · 32 min

    Solutions

    The cheapest fix for AI's power problem is America’s power grid. That is, the one that already exists.

  • S9 · E4
    September 22 · 30 min

    Balance

    Residents learned about their new $1 billion Google data center after the deal was done.

  • S9 · E2
    September 15 · 37 min

    AI wants your electricity

    America is rebuilding its power grid for AI before anyone can agree on how much power AI will need.

  • S9 · E3
    September 15 · 31 min

    Gridlock

    America's grid runs at about half its capacity. AI needs more power. What’s the problem?

  • S9 · E1
    September 9 · 3 min

    Introducing Power Play

    AI needs more power, faster than America has ever built it. Power Play is a six-part investigation from Quartz into the bottlenecks, the fixes, and the economics at the core of AI development. Episodes 1 and 2 arrive September 15, then weekly through October 13.

  • S7 · E4
    Apr 9, 2024 · 25 min

    Green steel: Structural change

    What if we changed not just the materials we used to make things, but the way we make our materials?

  • S7 · E3
    Apr 2, 2024 · 26 min

    VR headsets: We're practically there

    We’ve long associated virtual reality with escaping to someplace more exciting, but the technology has never quite caught up with science fiction’s promise. But VR headsets’ emerging practical applications are a different kind of thrilling — training workers, helping in healthcare, making the workplace less stressful. All of these are reasons to celebrate, and show that VR headsets actually do have a place in every home and office, without being a means to escape them.

  • S7 · E2
    Mar 26, 2024 · 26 min

    Smart rings: Digital digits

    Smart rings have been around for years. And according to some tech experts (and a lot of consumers), they might outlast the smartwatch. These sleeker, less bulky wearables collect more accurate data, often at a lower price point. And the technology has come a long way. But do we really want or need all this information about our bodies? And does having all that information at our, well, fingertips actually help us in any practical way? Presented by Deloitte Episode art by Vicky Leta

  • S7 · E1
    Mar 19, 2024 · 27 min

    Tail lights: Smart signals

    You’ve seen the endless sea of red when you’re stuck in traffic. But chances are, you haven’t given the simple tail light much thought. Car designers past and present have, though — and so has Jason Torchinsky, co-founder of auto news blog The Autopian. These signals, which include the lights that indicate a car’s existence on the road, brake lights, and turn indicators, have traveled from oil lamp to bespoke brand signature over the years. All so we can show each other where we are and where we’re going. This episode is guaranteed to change how you think about any road-based journey (and it might involve a little tail light fan fiction, too). Presented by Deloitte Episode art by Vicky Leta

  • Mar 7, 2024 · 3 min

    Trailer: Season 7

    The Quartz Obsession is back for season 7, and this time, host Gabriela Riccardi will talk to guests obsessed with taillights, green steel, virtual reality headsets, and more. Join us on March 19 for a whole new set of topics you won't be able to stop thinking about.

  • S6 · E6
    Jan 16, 2024 · 30 min

    Synthetic Memories: Generating the past

    These days, we’ve got photographic evidence of our memories just about everywhere we turn. But what about the memories that you have no way of calling up at the touch of a button or the turn of a page? That’s the case for entire older generations, and one global research project is using artificial intelligence to create images of the memories of early-stage dementia patients. It’s a futuristic technology that recalls the past. Presented by Deloitte Episode art by Vicky Leta

  • S6 · E5
    Jan 9, 2024 · 25 min

    Drive-thrus: Fastest food

    What began with a simple window has become an exercise in efficiency—and fast food chains are always looking for ways to move more people through drive-thrus more quickly. But until recently, the technology hadn’t changed all that much in the past few decades. Now, the age of artificial intelligence has ushered in new ways to shave off valuable seconds. Drive-thrus have become such cash cows that more and more fast food locations are doing away with the in-house dining experience full stop. Will the future of drive-thrus be a dystopian tech-nightmare, or a fast and easy way to get our burgers and fries? Presented by Deloitte Episode art by Vicky Leta

Showing 1–20 of 21 episodes