Satya Nadella says AI must justify its massive energy use

As artificial intelligence (AI) systems get bigger and more powerful, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says the tech industry needs to prove that all the energy used to run them is actually worth it.

“If you’re going to use energy, you better have social permission to use it,” Nadella said during a recent talk at Y Combinator’s AI Startup School. “We just can’t consume energy unless we are creating social and economic value.”

He added that the real test of AI is whether it can help solve everyday problems — like making healthcare,…