this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2026
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Fuck AI
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A place for all those who loathe AI to discuss things, post articles, and ridicule the AI hype. Proud supporter of working people. And proud booer of SXSW 2024.
AI, in this case, refers to LLMs, GPT technology, and anything listed as "AI" meant to increase market valuations.
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Continuing to operate nuclear plants that we've already paid for and are on the hook for decommissioning costs is perfectly sensible. Building new ones is what isn't.
There's lots of newer designs we could use, but they're still not going to be economically viable. A new nuclear plant isn't about today, it needs to be viable over its expected lifespan: around 2036 to 2076.
The fancy new designs aren't up against today's batteries. They're up against 2040's batteries, and they can't compete. For the price of a new nuclear plant, we'll be able to buy those massive battery farms and have money left over. Not today maybe, but a new reactor isn't going to start feeding power into the grid for ten years or so, so it'll need to compete with 2036's battery prices on day one and it's only going to get worse from there.