We did the math on AI’s energy footprint. Here’s the story you haven’t heard.
1 min read
Summary
Analysis of AI’s energy consumption by MIT Technology Review as part of a series on the energy demands of AI reveals that the energy required to power the AI revolution is substantial.
Tech giants are building more and more data centres to house AI needs and to reshape the energy grid.
Data centres doubled their electricity consumption in 2023, with a forecast that more than half of all data centre energy usage will be taken up by AI alone by 2028.
AI queries can have a measurable energy toll and associated emissions, but individual behaviour is not the issue.
Rather, the problem is the unavoidable integration of AI across digital lives, which is forcing energy companies and governments to shape energy provision around AI’s demands.
The report calls for more transparency from AI companies on their energy sources and usage.