{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"AI CEO Series: Dr. Varun Sivaram","description":"This episode of our AI CEO series looks at the potential for AI capabilities to address one of AI\u2019s largest challenges \u2013 energy availability. Dr. Varun Sivaram, founder and CEO of Emerald AI, joins host Eric Hanselman to explore how greater flexibility is AI workloads can unlock unused capacity. Traditionally, data center construction has focused on delivering peak capacity, even at those times when it may not be needed. That doesn\u2019t mesh well with a power grid that is already under stress. AI intelligence can shift workloads dynamically to reduce data center demands when the power grid needs it and to leverage excess grid capacity when it\u2019s available. Flexing AI workloads to respond to grid conditions isn\u2019t simple, but it can be more attractive than alternatives. Adding generation capacity is a long-term and expensive process and community concerns about rate increases are creating headwinds for new data center builds. Adding Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are costly and have their own capacity and durability limitations. Flexing workload demand could address grid integration problems on a much shorter timeline. More S&amp;amp;P Gobal content:  2026 Trends in Data Center Services &amp;amp; Infrastructure Geopolitics of data centers: An AI showdown that will reshape the world AI\u2019s global resource race: Challenges and opportunities Hyperscaler earnings quarterly: What price inference?  For S&amp;amp;P Global subscribers:  Data Center Services &amp;amp; Infrastructure Market Monitor &amp;amp; Forecast: US ISO Region BYOP emerges as a strategic decision for data center operators in response to grid challenges US Independent System Operators 101 Service providers race to meet surging enterprise demand for AI infrastructure Survey Data Hub \u2013 VoCUL: Connected Customer, AI &amp;amp; Data Centers 2026  Host\/Author: Eric Hanselman Guest:&amp;nbsp;Varun Sivaram Producer\/Editor: Dylan Scheible Published With Assistance From: Feranmi Adeoshun and Sophie Carr ","author_name":"Next in Tech","author_url":"https:\/\/www.spglobal.com\/marketintelligence\/en\/news-insights\/podcasts\/next-in-tech","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/41980215\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/item\/41980215"}