• Much of the public discourse around AI centres around cybersecurity and such issues, but its environmental impact also needs to be considered.
• While AI and the data centres it relies on use large amounts of energy and water, the technology can also be used to help tackle climate change.
• By adopting practical strategies, there are actionable steps that organizations can take to align their AI strategies and sustainability goals.

Conversations around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in business typically centre around data security, ethical uses and the risk of over-reliance on the emerging technology. But there is also growing discussion and concern around AI’s environmental footprint and rightly so.

With AI having a significant impact on energy and water consumption, as well as global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it is vital that the subject of environmental sustainability is included in discussions around responsible AI.

Simultaneously, there’s an undeniable sense of renewed hope that AI can positively contribute to the global transition to a lower carbon economy. As AI’s impact rises alongside growing use of the technology, we must reflect on how it contributes to – and fights against – climate change.

AI’s growing appetite for energy and water

Over the past decade, demand for cloud computing and digital services has focused minds on energy optimization, with modern data centres increasingly adopting energy-efficient hardware and advance cooling systems leading to improved power usage effective averages across the industry. However, the reality is that the energy demands of AI, powered by data centres, significantly outpace current efficiency gains.

A single ChatGPT inquiry consumes about five times more electricity than that of a web search, while it is also estimated that training a single language model such as GPT-3 uses electricity equivalent to the power consumed annually by 130 US homes.

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