How AI Is Driving Up Demand for Copper and Aluminum
AI is reshaping not only software but also commodity markets. Growing data centers are doubling the load on power grids, and with it the demand for copper in cables and transformers and for aluminum in transmission lines. Microsoft, Alphabet and others are already pouring tens of billions into infrastructure, but mines and smelters are expanding far more slowly. The result is a risk of shortages and another jump in prices.
AI-processed from Habr AI; edited by Hamidun News
The AI boom is reshaping not only the software market but the entire industrial chain: data centers, substations and cooling systems require copper and aluminum in unprecedented volumes.
How is AI development affecting electricity demand?
According to the IEA, data center electricity consumption will grow from 415 TWh in 2024 to 945 TWh by 2030. AI servers add about 30% a year to energy consumption, which requires expanding substations, cables and cooling systems.
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