IEEE Seattle EXCOM and Speech-April 14th Innovating for Public Good- Developing a Human-Centered AI Data Center of the Future” data center by Dr. Sheree Wen
Please join the IEEE Seattle EXCOM and Speech on Tuesday, April 14, 6 PM – 7 pm Speech and 7-8 pm EXCOM Speech by Dr. Sheree Wen Title: Innovating for Public Good- Developing a Human-Centered AI Data Center of the Future. Abstract : During the February 11, 2025, hearing on The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Congress, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell made a significant observation: “If you fast forward 10 or 15 years, there are going to be regions of the country where you can’t get a mortgage.” He highlighted that the primary issue isn’t interest rates but the unavailability of insurance. As he elaborated, banks rely on insurance before issuing mortgages, yet insurers are withdrawing from high-risk regions—wildfire zones, flood-prone areas, and hurricane-exposed coastlines. This lack of insurance leads to a halt in lending in these regions. Some of the most vulnerable areas include: – Wildfire-prone regions in California – Hurricane and flood-prone areas in Florida – Coastal and disaster-prone areas across the U.S. Simultaneously, energy use is one of the most significant contributors to carbon emissions. AI data centers is energy intensive These AI Data center clusters currently consume between 500 MW and 1.5 GW (1.5 billion watts per day)—an amount of energy equivalent to the entire power consumption of a major city like Seattle. Cities such as Silicon Valley have seen their energy usage doubled with AI data centers consuming energy equivalent to the daily usage of 1 to 3.75 million people. In some regions of the U.S., this high-power demand has caused harmonic disturbances and power spikes, sometimes approaching collective shutdowns. Moreover, AI data centers consume 5 to 20 million gallons of water daily, equivalent to the entire water usage of Seattle. The future of sustainable AI infrastructure increasingly depends on developing more efficient systems. This talk will explore and analyze the environmental and energy challenges and near-term solutions associated with AI data centers. Dr. Wen will present innovative solutions for the future, including advancements in chip and system design that not only deliver amazing performance but also dramatically reduce energy consumption by factors of 100 or more. Additionally, she will discuss the development of zero-water cooling technologies to replace traditional water-based cooling systems, ensuring sustainability without sacrificing performance. Parking Link To reserve parking, click on the following link: https://www.offstreet.io/events/RKLSDC5K and enter your vehicle license plate. Co-sponsored by: Priyank Desai , Mike Stiber, Neha Shetty, Shiny Abraham Agenda: Tuesday, April 14th , 2026, 6 PM- 8:30 PM 6 PM-6:50 PM Speech, Innovating for Public Good- Developing a Human-Centered AI Data Center of the Future 7 PM – 8:30 PM EXCOM meeting 1) Approve of March10th 2026 meeting minutes 2) Treasure report, 3) election update 4) Session Business. 5) Chapter, affinity Group, and Student Branch report. 6) Other Business. Paeking Link To reserve parking, click on the following link: https://www.offstreet.io/events/P7HVWR36 and enter your vehicle license plate. Room: 142, Bldg: Harding Building, 1215 E Columbia St (Central District) Seattle, WA 98122Read more, Seattle , Washington, United States, 98122, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/553204