The New York Times features Professor Coskun and her work with Emerald AI
by A.J. Kleber
On August 25, the New York Times published “This A.I. Start-Up Aims to Reverse the Backlash Against Data Centers: Emerald AI, now valued at $1.05 billion, uses software to keep power demand at the computing facilities from getting out of control.” The piece discusses recent trends in public opinion regarding the AI-driven build-out of data center facilities nationwide, as well as the work of Emerald AI, an ambitious start-up where Professor Ayșe Coskun (ECE, SE) serves as Chief Scientist.
The Times article describes the strain that building and running AI models puts on local power grids as a key component of the current nationwide backlash, and the significant challenges it poses to the booming industry. Emerald AI is positioned as holding a potential solution to this problem, as their business is built on proprietary software designed to optimize data center power use responsively based on peak usage and utility company input. The software, which utilizes AI agents with autonomous decision-making capabilities to manage power consumption by data center operators and customers, builds on Coskun’s extensive expertise and pioneering research in data center energy management and power flexibility.
According to Times writer Sri Muppidi, a newly-announced $150M in new funding brings Emerald AI’s total valuation up to $1.05B. Early investors include former Secretary of State John Kerry and Google veteran Jeff Dean. The software has been tested at five data centers, working with partners including Nvidia and Oracle, and the start-up now has two contracts in California and Virginia.
To learn more about Emerald AI and its aspiration to “transform [data centers] from villains into heroes,” as founder and CEO Varun Sivaram puts it, you can read the article at the New York Times website.