The Carbon Footprint of Artificial Intelligence

What powers artificial intelligence (AI)? As global electricity use is surging, with unprecedented demand coming from an increase in data centers, AI’s dependence on fossil fuels presents a serious issue for the planet. In the United States, data center power usage is on track to double by 2030, largely due to the proliferation of AI technology. But while the application of AI shows potential to mitigate climate problems, will its power grab stall the clean energy transition?

Featured Guests:

Varun Sivaram, Senior Fellow for Climate and Energy, CFR

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/wim/dirty-energy-powering-ai