Think Tank Lab — Ikhlaq Sidhu

Catalyx

Venture Works and Community Uplift

Ikhlaq Sidhu, Project Lead

Why Catalyx

Generate tech ventures
Career opportunity exchange
Match high-value talent
Sharpen innovation leadership
Uplift our global tech community

And possibly even reinvent the academic-to-industry interface in the background

Community & Uplift

Tech leaders, venture capital, and entrepreneurial academics. From opportunity exchange to connection to educational uplift.

Ventures Creation and Innovation

From venture synthesis to hacking to high-value talent sourcing.

Industry Change Tech Briefs

Trends and inflections, research reports, and support for aspiring students

Blueprint

Community & events by invitation
No cost to participate

Connected Networks:

Tech Firms including Google, Apple, Meta, Yahoo, Amazon, Applied Materials, VMWare, Samsung, Cisco, Microsoft, and more
Global faculty from Berkeley, Stanford, IE, MIT, UCLA, Melbourne, DTU in Denmark, Oxford, Lund in Sweden, ETH in Zurich, more
Institutional connections from UC Berkeley International Co-Lab, Berkeley Institute of European Studies, Berkeley Engineering, Berkeley MSOL, CITRIS HQ at Berkeley, IE Science & Technology, Rise Europe, Qatar Foundation, and more.

Venture projects are often in stealth mode. To learn more or participate, contact us using the information below.

Student Research Fellows:

Omar Afifi, University of Michigan
Aswin Subramanian Maheswaran, IE University
Abhishek Koul, University of Wisconsin
Victor Okoro, University of Ottawa, UC Berkeley
Sara-Nel Ünal, IE University, University of Edinburgh

Latest Open Reports and Publications
In Support of Open Science

Afifi, Subramanian, Koul, Sidhu (PI), et al, “Truth and Information Integrity in a Digital and AI-Powered World” Think Tank Lab Report, June 2025 (download)

Given the increasing concerns regarding truth and information integrity, this technical brief considers the issue, particularly in the context of artificial intelligence, as technologies that utilize AI systems have amplified this issue.

Okoro, Ünal, Sidhu (PI), “AI Strategy Development: A Guide to How and Why”, Think Tank Lab Report, June 2025 (download)

As a guide to developing an effective AI strategy, grounded in real-world experience and shaped by lessons from a major institutional project, this report highlights common pitfalls, emerging best practices, and the value of collaborative, cross-university insight.

Related Technical Briefs and References:

AI & Power:

“AI and Sustainability”, Catalyst Tech Brief, August 2024
“Is the Future of AI Analog”, Catalyst Tech Brief, 2024
“AI and Power Grids (tech brief), Catalyst Tech Brief, 2024
CPU vs GPU, The Economist Impact Series Report, May 2025
AI Strategy; Information Integrity (Work in Progress)
AI Strategy Best Practices (Coming Soon)
Power Hungry Processing: Watts Driving the Cost of AI Deployment? https://arxiv.org/pdf/2311.16863
This shows that 2.9 KWHs with a 3.31 KW standard deviation are required for one Gen AI image generation.
Goldman Sachs: How much power will AI use? It will be stoked partly by electrification and industrial re-shoring but also by AI. Data centers will use 8% of US power by 2030, compared with 3% in 2022.May 14, 2024
https://www.goldmansachs.com/intelligence/pages/AI-poised-to-drive-160-increase-in-power-demand.html
Sidhu, AI Power Consumption, LinkedIn article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-next-global-sustainability-challenge-solution-ikhlaq-sidhu-9ogef/?trackingId=ufXtFNxLQTCIVlkWf83MYA%3D%3D
(The prior post is here):
The Data Center Market size is estimated to reach $418 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2023 to 2030. According to USITC, as of 2022, there are approximately 8000 physical data centers present across the globe. https://www.industryarc.com/Report/19401/data-center-market.html
Platt, The Unbelievable Zombie Comeback of Analog Computing, Wired, March 30, 2023
Ghose, Reducing AI’s Climate Impact: Everything You Always Wanted to Know but Were Afraid to Ask, https://scet.berkeley.edu/reducing-ais-climate-impact-everything-you-always-wanted-to-know-but-were-afraid-to-ask/
Ariel Cohen, AI Is Pushing The World Toward An Energy Crisis, Forbes, May 2024

AI Health and Medicine:

Please take a look at this article on the IE-HBKU Health Technology Collider Summary.
See how digital biomarkers are part of the future of healthcare. In this case example, medical testing is done at home instead of using medical resources and hospital staff. Onera Health (see post)

Education and Future of Work:

A Blueprint Science & Technology - Why new options for academics are now possible and needed.
Future of Work - Why we can't live without AI, and what we can expect in the Workplace
Economist Summit 2024 - Viewpoints from CEOs and industry leaders on AI adoption, use cases, and business trends
A Practical Guide to Education in an AI World - How to manage with AI as an instructor and academic institution.
A Northstar for the 20-Year Future of Education with AI - What we can expect for students in classes, the professors changing role, and what disruptions are likely for universities.
State of the Union 2024 at the European University Institute - Technology, regulation, and the main issues of the EU in 2024
Certainty or Intelligence: Pick One! - A discussion of logical intelligence vs predictive and pattern matching-based intelligence by Prof. Edward Lee of Berkeley
Sidhu, Education in Crisis. What can we offer the other 99%? The Problem is Big. AI is only part of the Answer. LI, October 14, 2024
Sidhu, Why are we not ready for Project-based Mastery Learning? LI Post, Octover 20, 2024