In the US, demand for power from AI data centers is skyrocketing, driven by the intensive computational requirements of its models, which often require vast amounts of energy for both training and operation. Then there are also AI’s carbon emissions. In many cases, the electricity used to power the AI data centers today relies on nonrenewable energy sources such as coal or gas. Can we afford AI’s huge environmental costs? Landon Marston, an associate professor at Viriginia Tech’s Environmental and Water Resources Engineering program, joins The Excerpt to discuss how engineers and policymakers are approaching solving for AI in the long-term.

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California police have released details about a sexual assault report into Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Defense Department. Plus, the House Ethics Commission has reviewed records detailing $10,000 in Venmo payments Matt Gaetz allegedly made to two women in the panel's probe. Gaetz is Trump's nominee for attorney general.

USA TODAY Democracy Reporter Erin Mansfield discusses allegations of sexual abuse against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

USA TODAY Education Reporter Zach Schermele takes a look at the future of higher education, and examines Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Education - Linda McMahon.

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AI applications in vertical farming have the potential to usher in a new model that not only yields a high volume of quality product, but also offers a much smaller carbon footprint in terms of resources and the space necessary to deploy them. By incorporating AI, robotics and vertically stacked crops in controlled environmental conditions, the vertical farming model might be a gamechanger in the agricultural sector. Hiroki Koga, co-founder and CEO of Oishii, the company behind the world's largest indoor vertical farm, joins The Excerpt to share his insights into how AI is transforming farming potential.

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