{"id":115300,"date":"2023-10-13T11:17:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T15:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=115300"},"modified":"2023-10-18T11:19:32","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T15:19:32","slug":"ai-carbon-footprint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/ai-carbon-footprint\/","title":{"rendered":"AI&#8217;s Carbon Footprint May Imperil Global Climate Goals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>How big is AI&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/tourism-carbon-footprint\/\">carbon footprint<\/a>? How fast is it growing? Can anything be done to curb it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI&#8217;s carbon footprint and energy use are growing rapidly and could undermine global <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/global-climate-goals\/\">climate change goals<\/a>. Mitigating AI&#8217;s emissions will require a combination of corporate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/carbon-reduction\/\">carbon reduction<\/a> commitments, AI efficiency improvements, a shift to renewable energy, and government regulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Continue reading to learn how the growth of AI is affecting the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ai-s-carbon-footprint-is-growing-quickly\">AI&#8217;s Carbon Footprint Is Growing Quickly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/artificial-intelligence-and-language\/\">AI language<\/a> models like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-you-do-with-chatgpt\/\">ChatGPT<\/a> rely on vast networks of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.askhandle.com\/blog\/why-does-it-cost-so-much-data-to-train-generative-AI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">energy-intensive computer servers and hardware<\/a> to operate. These systems consume significant electricity, leading to substantial <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/bernardmarr\/2023\/03\/22\/green-intelligence-why-data-and-ai-must-become-more-sustainable\/?sh=31c9ec647658\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">carbon emissions<\/a> and a sizable carbon footprint.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carbon footprints are important because carbon emissions are a key contributor to the <a href=\"https:\/\/climate.nasa.gov\/faq\/19\/what-is-the-greenhouse-effect\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">greenhouse effect<\/a>, which traps heat in the Earth&#8217;s atmosphere and accelerates climate change.\u00a0And, although AI currently accounts for less than 1% of total carbon emissions, the AI market is predicted to <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-hidden-cost-of-the-ai-boom-social-and-environmental-exploitation-208669\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expand ninefold by 2030<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-spotty-ai-emissions-reporting\"><strong>Spotty AI Emissions Reporting&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Virtually <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/technology\/archive\/2023\/08\/ai-carbon-emissions-data-centers\/675094\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">no data exists<\/a> on carbon emissions generated by popular AI models like OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT. Experts say that major technology companies including Microsoft, Google, and IBM have <a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/climate-change-ai-large-language-models-carbon-emission-1850830827\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">long underreported their carbon emissions<\/a>\u2014even well before AI\u2019s rise. Nevertheless, some estimates of companies&#8217; emissions do exist:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Training complex AI models like ChatGPT releases an estimated <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/cybernews.com\/editorial\/chatgpt-carbon-footprint\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>500 tons of carbon into the atmosphere<\/strong><\/a>\u2014equal to over 600 roundtrip flights between New York and London.<\/li><li><strong>Training Google\u2019s LaMDA model produces an estimated <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/artificial-intelligence-can-make-companies-greener-but-it-also-guzzles-energy-7c7b678\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>26 tons of carbon dioxide<\/strong><\/a>\u2014roughly the same as the emissions of 22 passengers on a round-trip flight from New York to San Francisco.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/huggingface.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Hugging Face<\/strong><\/a><strong> estimates that the carbon footprint of its AI technology, BLOOM, is roughly the same as <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-hidden-cost-of-the-ai-boom-social-and-environmental-exploitation-208669\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>60 flights between New York and London<\/strong><\/a>. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-problem-with-ai-s-carbon-footprint\"><strong>The Problem With AI&#8217;s Carbon Footprint<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tech workers, researchers, and environmentalists warn that without a rapid, radical shift in AI system development that accounts for its environmental impact, <strong>the technology\u2019s energy consumption <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2023\/aug\/01\/techscape-environment-cost-ai-artificial-intelligence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>will surpass that of the entire global workforce by 2025<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong> At present:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Training a single AI model can produce emissions equal to <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/bernardmarr\/2023\/03\/22\/green-intelligence-why-data-and-ai-must-become-more-sustainable\/?sh=31c9ec647658\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>more than 626,000 pounds of carbon dioxide<\/strong><\/a>\u2014roughly five times the emissions generated by the average American car during its lifetime.<\/li><li><strong>A single data center can use the same amount of electricity as <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/cybernews.com\/editorial\/chatgpt-carbon-footprint\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>50,000 homes<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li><li><strong>The cloud\u2019s carbon footprint now <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/cybernews.com\/editorial\/chatgpt-carbon-footprint\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>surpasses that of the entire airline industry<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>As AI\u2019s popularity and energy demands grow, <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/artificial-intelligence-can-make-companies-greener-but-it-also-guzzles-energy-7c7b678\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>so will its carbon footprint<\/strong><\/a><strong>\u2014potentially <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/bernardmarr\/2023\/03\/22\/green-intelligence-why-data-and-ai-must-become-more-sustainable\/?sh=31c9ec647658\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>imperiling global climate goals<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-addressing-ai-s-carbon-footprint\"><strong>Addressing AI\u2019s Carbon Footprint<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>AI companies and researchers assert that AI emissions, while substantial, can be mitigated through a range of measures. Steps that tech companies are taking and exploring to address AI emissions include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/cybernews.com\/editorial\/chatgpt-carbon-footprint\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Pledging to achieve carbon neutrality or negativity<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li><li><strong>Shifting to <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/artificial-intelligence-can-make-companies-greener-but-it-also-guzzles-energy-7c7b678\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>renewable energy sources<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/problems-with-renewable-energy\/\">wind and solar<\/a> to power AI data centers.\u00a0<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/cybernews.com\/editorial\/chatgpt-carbon-footprint\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Relocating machine learning jobs<\/strong><\/a><strong> to regions with more environmentally friendly carbon footprints<\/strong>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2023\/09\/27\/ai-carbon-dioxide-energy-ee-power-00118452\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Enhancing the efficiency<\/strong><\/a><strong> of data centers, chips, and algorithms.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>AI Is Guzzling Water Too<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On top of AI&#8217;s carbon footprint, AI systems like ChatGPT require <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/chatgpt-gpt4-iowa-ai-water-consumption-microsoft-f551fde98083d17a7e8d904f8be822c4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">vast amounts of computing power<\/a> to analyze human language patterns and generate coherent text. This intensive process generates enormous heat that must be dissipated to prevent <a href=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/microsoft-water-usage-ai-iowa-data-center-1850826419\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">computer shutdowns<\/a>. Data centers\u2014the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk\/the-water-footprint-of-ai-data-centres\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">physical facilities<\/a> that house servers and storage that underpin ChatGPT and other chatbots\u2014frequently use water cooling systems to regulate temperatures. Water is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/big-tech-had-a-water-problem-long-before-chatgpt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cheapest way to cool servers<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Much Water Are AI Systems Using?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Experts say that historically, tech firms have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2023-07-26\/extreme-heat-drought-drive-opposition-to-ai-data-centers?sref=mIZ1p2Gz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">declined to share details<\/a> about their water consumption in individual centers, citing these data as trade secrets. <strong>A 2022 survey revealed that just 39% of data centers even monitored their water use\u2014a 12% decrease from 2021.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, companies like Miocrosoft and Google have begun sharing information about their water use recently, <strong>reporting <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com\/cms\/api\/am\/binary\/RW15mgm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>34%<\/strong><\/a><strong> and <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sustainability.google\/reports\/google-2023-environmental-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>20%<\/strong><\/a><strong> spikes in water consumption between 2021 and 2022\u2014primarily to cool AI systems housed in data centers<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Microsoft\u2019s water use jumped <a href=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/microsoft-water-usage-ai-iowa-data-center-1850826419\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1.7 billion gallons in a single year<\/a>\u2014from 4,772,890 cubic meters to 6,399,415.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Google used <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/google-water-use-soaring-ai-make-it-worse-data-centers-2023-7?op=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5.6 billion gallons of water last year<\/a>\u2014roughly the amount needed for 37 golf courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-looking-ahead\"><strong>Looking Ahead&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some experts say that <strong>reducing AI\u2019s carbon footprint <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-hidden-cost-of-the-ai-boom-social-and-environmental-exploitation-208669\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>depends on companies\u2019 priorities in the coming years<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong> Future AI models <em>could<\/em> be designed to be more energy-efficient than they are now, and companies could substantially reduce data centers\u2019 energy use and emissions by optimizing resources such as location, type of power they use, and time of day they operate. Whether companies pursue these avenues vigorously remains to be seen.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Others caution that even with promises from companies like Microsoft, Google, and Meta to reduce AI carbon emissions through such changes,<strong> achieving their stated targets <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/technology\/archive\/2023\/08\/ai-carbon-emissions-data-centers\/675094\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>could take years<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How big is AI&#8217;s carbon footprint? How fast is it growing? Can anything be done to curb it? AI&#8217;s carbon footprint and energy use are growing rapidly and could undermine global climate change goals. Mitigating AI&#8217;s emissions will require a combination of corporate carbon reduction commitments, AI efficiency improvements, a shift to renewable energy, and government regulation. Continue reading to learn how the growth of AI is affecting the environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":78040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,160,24],"tags":[727],"class_list":["post-115300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-science","category-society","tag-articles","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>AI&#039;s Carbon Footprint May Imperil Global Climate Goals - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As AI\u2019s popularity and energy demands grow, so will its carbon footprint\u2014potentially imperiling global climate goals. 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