While everyone debates AI hallucinations, we may be missing a bigger threat. The infrastructure powering AI may not be able to sustain everything vendors are promising.
Think about it: 26 major US utilities already have requests to supply an additional 711 gigawatts of new data center power. That’s nearly equal to the entire continental US summer peak demand.
You can’t just snap your fingers and create more power. Building that additional capacity takes years of regulatory approval and massive investment.
What happens when legal tech tools slow to a crawl because there’s not enough infrastructure to support them? When your contract review platform crashes during a deal closing? When eDiscovery tools fail right before a deadline?
Law firms are betting big on AI without asking the hard question as to where the power will come from. That’s a dangerous gamble.
Melissa Rogozinski and I explore this infrastructure volcano and why legal needs contingency plans before it erupts in our post for Above the Law. Part 1 of a 3 part series.