AI's Impact on Climate Change: Google and Microsoft See Soaring Emissions

Money | July 12, 2024, 5:43 a.m.

AI technologies like ChatGPT are consuming massive amounts of electricity, resulting in soaring emissions for tech giants like Google and Microsoft, contributing significantly to climate change. The energy required for AI far exceeds traditional internet use, with ChatGPT queries using almost 10 times more electricity than Google search queries. With AI becoming more sophisticated, energy demands continue to rise, predominantly sourced from fossil fuels like coal and gas. Companies like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft are increasing data center usage to accommodate AI workloads, further exacerbating emissions. The industry's push for AI-first technologies is driving unprecedented growth in data centers, leading to significant electricity consumption. Experts warn that without intervention, AI's environmental impact will worsen, exacerbating the existential risk of climate change. Efforts to achieve sustainability goals by tech companies are overshadowed by the environmental costs of AI technologies.