Artificial intelligence may come for our jobs one day, but before that happens, the data centers it relies on are going to need a lot of electricity. So how do we power them and millions of U.S. homes and businesses without generating more climate-warming gases? Microsoft founder, billionaire philanthropist and investor Bill Gates is betting that nuclear power is key to meeting that need — and he’s digging into his own pockets to try and make it happen. Gates has invested $1 billion into a nuclear power plant that broke ground in Kemmerer, Wyo., this week. The new facility, designed by the Gates-founded TerraPower, will be smaller than traditional fission nuclear power plants and, in theory, safer because it will use sodium instead of water to cool the reactor’s core. TerraPower estimates the plant could be built for up to $4 billion, which would be a bargain when compared to other nuclear projects recently completed in the U.S. Two nuclear reactors built from scratch in Georgia cost nearly $35 billion, the Associated Press reports. Construction on the TerraPower plant is expected to be completed by 2030. Gates sat for an interview at NPR headquarters with Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep to discuss his multibillion dollar nuclear power investment — and how he views the benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence, which the plant he’s backing may someday power.

Full interview : Bill Gates answers questions on how his nuclear power plants will provide power to energy guzzling AI data centers.