Artificial Intelligence (AI) is undoubtedly revolutionizing our world, transforming the way we live and work. However, this remarkable progress comes at a significant cost that often goes unnoticed – its impact on the environment. A new study by Alex De Vries, PhD candidate at the VU Amsterdam School of Business and Economics, warns that AI industry could consume as much energy as a country the size of the Netherlands by 2027. This begs the question: do the benefits of AI outweigh the energy it consumes?
At first glance, AI appears to be the environmental savior. Companies like American Airlines are promoting AI projects as solutions to mitigate the environmental impact of air travel, such as reducing contrails. Additionally, the US government is significantly investing in AI-powered nuclear fusion, aiming to harness clean energy for the future (Crawford, 2023).
However, behind the scenes, a different reality unfolds. Did you know that Microsoft’s AI development between 2021-2022 caused a a remarkable 34% increase in water consumption? (Microsoft, 2023). To put this into perspective, this is equivalent to filling 2,500 Olympic swimming pools! Our online activities also contribute significantly to the environmental strain. Surprisingly, each ChatGPT conversation requires a full liter of fresh water, essential to cool down the extensive energy systems powering AI (Vallence, 2023). This heightened demand is directly linked to the computers propelling AI which require massive warehouses filled with specialized machines – known as data centers. These data centers consume water and energy at an alarming rate. Certainly, there is an undeniable surge in demand for the computers powering AI, leading to a significant increase in the energy required to cool these servers.
Thus, the true cost of AI unveils that every useful tool can also be turned into a weapon. We must ensure that AI does not compromise the well-being of our planet. Embracing sustainable practices, investing in green technologies, and promoting responsible policies are pivotal steps in this journey
References:
Crawford, K. (2023, August 29). Tech life – charting the true cost of Ai – BBC sounds. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct4tq9
Microsoft. (2022). Environmental Sustainability Report. Retrieved from: https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RW15mgm
Vallance, Z. K. and C. (2023, October 10). Warning AI industry could use as much energy as the Netherlands. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67053139
Hi Evelien,
First of all, great post. Super insightful, something that gets overlooked when discussing AI! I agree that AI developers should also look at sustainable processes to ensure that new technology is not wasting resources unnecessarily and causing electronic waste. I think clear regulations can resolve this problem, on one side giving AI developers the chance to grow and optimize their algorithms, but on the other side, by doing this in such a matter that energy consumption stays within limits.
*Eveline (sorry, my bad!)
Hi Evelien, thank you for this insightful blog post. I found it astounding to read that the water consumption of Microsoft has increased because of AI! I would have never expected that. As that climate crisis is a well-discussed topic and increasing regulations arise to stem the effects of climate change, we still struggle to make a difference and the climate problems go on. Capitalist countries and companies seem to be more driven by profit that social impact and I predict this will also be the case for upcoming AI technologies. While I completely support the notion of establishing regulations for the development and use of AI, I hold a rather pessimistic view regarding the willingness of companies to adhere to these regulations in practice.