From 1946 to 2009, computing efficiency—performance per watt—doubled every 1.5 years. This trend, documented by Koomey and colleagues, transformed where computing could happen. Workloads migrated from mainframe rooms to desktops, then laptops, then pockets. The transition from centralized time-sharing to personal computing didn't occur because PCs surpassed mainframes in raw performance. It occurred when efficiency gains made computing capable enough within the power constraints of personal devices.
100% Utilization
Since the end of the Second World War, we have come to expect continual growth in computing power and the rapid development of digital technology. This dynam...
Computer power and human reason : from judgment to calculation
xii, 300 pages : 24 cm; Includes bibliographical references and index
CEOs Say AI Is Making Work More Efficient. Employees Tell a Different Story.
How much time workers say the technology saves them on the job is vastly different from what executives report.
Defining the Dimensions of the “Space” of Computing
The first computing machines were so large they filled entire rooms. Today they are ubiquitous, built invisibly into our environments. While it's tempting to view this change within a predetermined space of progress, we can still shape the future on our own terms.
AI Isn’t Lightening Workloads. It’s Making Them More Intense.
The technology is increasing the speed, density and complexity of work rather than reducing it, a new analysis of 164,000 people’s work activity shows.
Thousands of CEOs just admitted AI had no impact on employment or productivity—and it has economists resurrecting a paradox from 40 years ago | Fortune
In the 1980s, economist Robert Solow made an observation that reminded economists of today’s AI boom: “You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.”
Intelligence Per Watt: A Study of Local Intelligence Efficiency
Jon Saad-Falcon*, Avanika Narayan*, John Hennessy, Azalia Mirhoseini, Chris Ré
Thousands of CEOs admit AI had no impact on employment or productivity—and it has economists resurrecting a paradox from 40 years ago | Fortune
In the 1980s, economist Robert Solow made an observation that reminded economists of today’s AI boom: “You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.”
A Collectivist, Economic Perspective on AI
Information technology is in the midst of a revolution in which omnipresent data collection and machine learning are impacting the human world as never before. The word ``intelligence'' is being...
The UK tech energy grab: how AI data centres are delaying the building of homes
Artificial intelligence infrastructure is being handed priority access to Britain's overwhelmed electricity grid, pushing housing down the list. But as the US shows, there's an alternative: make Big Tech pay for the power it needs. Report by Nicole Kobie
IBM's "Man & Computer" (1967)
Big Tech’s A.I. Spending Is Accelerating (Again)
Despite the risk of a bubble, Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon plan to spend billions more on artificial intelligence than they already do.
Paul Rony on Twitter / X
As models gets better and better, running them half-on-a-datacenter-half-on-a-laptop becomes less practical every day. That’s why we think that each user now needs its own machine, ready to do your best work.— Paul Rony (@Paul_Rony) August 21, 2026
zach lieberman on Twitter / X
Today I was able to weave a line from Myron Krueger in a talk I gave : Computation is the medium of our lifetimes - it’s not just a technical medium but a cultural medium as well. We should explore the culture of computation.— zach lieberman (@zachlieberman) April 10, 2024
US data centers’ energy use amid the artificial intelligence boom
Data centers accounted for 4% of total U.S. electricity use in 2024. Their energy demand is expected to more than double by 2030.
