Agents, Not Answers: The New Power Bill of AI

Silicon Valley is moving from chatbot answers to autonomous AI agents that prompt themselves for hours and burn serious electricity. We unpack why agents are so thirsty, who actually pays the bill, and what that means for work, local politics, and who gets to decide. ## Hosts ### Daniel Altman Daniel Altman is a computer scientist and AI strategist with a background in engineering, quantitative research, and emerging technologies. He studies how technological breakthroughs reshape industries, markets, work, and human capabilities. ### Emily Carter Emily Carter is a business strategist and former technology product leader with experience building digital products and studying how innovation reaches millions of users. She focuses on AI adoption, business transformation, work, education, entrepreneurship, and leadership. ## Sources - https://www.wired.com/story/ai-agents-are-thirsty-for-power/ ## Episode Information Language: en Published: 2026-09-13T20:19:06.736458+00:00