The following report is by Tech Xplore (excerpts):
Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, the world has seen an incredible surge in investment, development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) applications. According to one estimate, the amount of computational power used for AI is doubling roughly every 100 days.
The social and economic impacts of this boom have provoked reactions around the world. European regulators recently pushed Meta to pause plans to train AI models on users’ Facebook and Instagram data. The Bank of International Settlements, which coordinates the world’s central banks, has warned AI adoption may change the way inflation works.
The environmental impacts have so far received less attention. A single query to an AI-powered chatbot can use up to 10 times as much energy as an old-fashioned Google search.
Broadly speaking, a generative AI system may use 33 times more energy to complete a task than it would take with traditional software. This enormous demand for energy translates into surges in carbon emissions and water use, and may place further stress on electricity grids already strained by climate change.
Most AI applications run on servers in data centers. In 2023, before the AI boom really kicked off, the International Energy Agency estimated data centers already accounted for 1%–1.5% of global electricity use and around 1% of the world’s energy-related CO₂ emissions.
For comparison, in 2022, the aviation sector accounted for 2% of global energy-related CO₂ emissions while the steel sector was responsible for 7%–9%.
[…] Microsoft’s disclosed annual emissions increased by around 40%, from the equivalent of 12.2 million metric tons of CO₂ to 17.1 million metric tons.Meta too is sinking huge resources into AI. In 2023, the company disclosed is Scope 3 emissions had increased by over 65% in just two years, from the equivalent of 5 million metric tons of CO₂ in 2020 to 8.4 million metric tons in 2022.
Google’s emissions were almost 50% higher in 2023 than in 2019. The tech giant’s 2024 environmental report notes that planned emissions reductions will be difficult “due to increasing energy demands from the greater intensity of AI compute.”
Data centers generate a lot of heat, and consume large amounts of water to cool their servers. According to a 2021 study, data centers in the United States use about 7,100 liters of water for each megawatt-hour of energy they consume.
Google’s US data centers alone consumed an estimated 12.7 billion liters of fresh water in 2021.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
Last year The WP highlighted a similar report that conceded that the increased use of AI would dramatically increase energy consumption at these data centers. SEE: Artificial Intelligence Use Will Cause Energy Consumption ‘To Dramatically Increase’
James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
The hypocrisy of mainstream media, big tech, politicians, and climate activists is hilariously ironic. While uprooting the lives of billions in the name of fighting climate change (which it’s not), data centers are consuming more energy than ever and are worse for the environment. And then you have to remember states and cities around the world are racing to build even more data centers in order to service all this AI and other IoT technologies. SEE: Indiana Becomes Growing State For Big Tech Data Centers And Crypto Mining, Vows The Grid Can Handle It
The grid in many areas will not be able to handle it in most places, in my opinion, and the additional costs will be levied on the people in the form of inflation, actual taxes, and increased energy bills.
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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Once again the idiots who run this world( in their minds), get caught with their pants down; the more ya use things( anything) the more energy it uses, douh; I guess they didn’t get that figured out.
More work, more energy, know what I mean, Vern
1Co 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.