It's tempting to think the Virtual and DIgital world is sustainable once we have bought the kit but the energy usage beyond the device in your hand or on your desk is not visible. It was a huge issue as Bitcoin took off all those servers with high end GPUs consuming the same energy as a small or even medium sized country. The energy and potential climate impact has led to proof of stake models for Crypto to become common, dilutes the the absolute integrity by making miners of crypto have skin in the game.
As AI now leads the boom in high end chip demand and a race to adopt AI and integrate it into everything it is worth pausing to think what it might do to your carbon footprint. Is your AI solution over engineered? Is it energy efficient and in the type of use AI is put to responsible and sustainable. THe Analytical power to solve problems and manage systems etc is likely to lead to technical advances and beter optimisation of all sorts of processes, however if a billion users start using it just for fun there is a potential climate issue about to hit the headlines.
So I attach a link to a Report on AI's impact it highlights the innovation it can drive but also the need for innovation and thought in how and where it is applied. Not so much a dystopian analysis more a GHG led study.
AI's Growing Carbon Footprint
| State of the Planet |
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| AI's Growing Carbon Footprint |
| Artificial intelligence has the potential to develop game-changing ways to fight climate change - but only if we can find ways to cut its carbon emissions. |
| View this on State of the Planet > |
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David Manuel
Partner
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