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Typically, the construction of complex structures such as hydroelectric power plants takes at least five years. An example is the Hoover Dam located at the intersection of the states of Arizona and Nevada – a dam with a height of 221 meters and a hydroelectric power plant supplementing it were built from 1931 to 1936.
Construction was carried out in very difficult conditions, because the workers often had to go down into the tunnels and suffer from excess carbon monoxide. Due to the harmful effects, some of them even became disabled or died.
In the near future, the construction of power plants will clearly require less time and fewer workers. Already, China wants to build a huge hydroelectric power plant using only artificial intelligence and robotic technology.
It sounds like science fiction, but there is no particular doubt about the performance of this system.
The largest 3D printer in the world
The future structure will be called the Yangqu Dam and will be located on the Tibetan Plateau. According to the authors of the project, after completion of construction in 2024 (it will take only a couple of years to build!), The new hydroelectric power plant will be able to supply China with up to 5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
A minimum of people will be involved in the construction – process control will be entrusted to artificial intelligence. At his disposal will be all the necessary construction equipment with a variety of sensors, and he will be able to manage it as he sees fit.
Construction equipment will be at the disposal of artificial intelligence. In the photo – trucks during the construction of a dam in Latakia
In fact, the system for building the Yangqu Dam will be the world’s largest 3D printer. Previously, this title belonged to a design that built a two-story office building in Dubai – the construction area was 641 square meters, which is currently the largest building built by a 3D printer in the world.
But once completed, the Yangqu Dam will break this record because it will be 180 meters high. It’s not as cool as the 221-meter Hoover Dam, but for an AI-printed building, it’s an outstanding achievement.
Two-story 3D-printed office building in Dubai
How do construction 3D printers “print” buildings?
Like conventional 3D printers, the huge structure will “print” the dam layer by layer. At the beginning of construction, artificial intelligence will still need help from people – you need to get and bring building materials to the site.
Once everything is in place, unmanned pavers and other vehicles will turn it into the first layer of the dam. After that, rollers with sensors will pass through it so that the layer becomes strong and durable.
After completing each stage of the work, the technician will send a report to the computer to make sure that the process is going according to plan.
Hoover Dam
According to the authors of the project, artificial intelligence and robotic technology will help to avoid mistakes that are often made by people. Sometimes truck drivers deliver materials to the wrong place and the rollers don’t follow a perfectly smooth path.
The combination of all these inaccuracies can significantly reduce the quality of the dam and shorten its service life. In addition, the absence of people on the construction site will reduce the number of accidents to zero. In general, there are a lot of advantages in using robots in construction.
Possible shortage of workers in China
On top of all this, in 2022 it became known that young people in China are less likely to start families. It is believed that the refusal of family life is associated with the desire of people to maintain their financial freedom.
This phenomenon is of great concern to local authorities, because in the long run it can lead to a decrease in the birth rate. This entails a shortage of workers – soon there will be no one to work at the enterprises.
How to increase the number of marriages is currently unknown, but workers can be replaced by robots. If the construction of the Yangqu Dam goes according to plan, the technology will clearly be applied to road construction and other industries.
There are fewer families in China, and this is an alarming sign
What can artificial intelligence do?
So, soon we can see that artificial intelligence is doing a great job of building huge dams. But that’s not the only thing it can do. Neural networks already perform other tasks without problems:
- help protect animals from poachers ;
- know how to write articles for websites ;
- can fly combat fighters ;
- know how to flirt and confess their love ;
- are weapons in the hands of criminals .
How much do you think the world will change after the development of artificial intelligence? Write in the comments
It seems that in the future, artificial intelligence will penetrate into all areas of our lives, and this is a little scary.
Let us know your thought in the comment section, or in our telegram chat.
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