This chapter examines the significant environmental consequences of AI's rising energy usage, emphasizing the energy-intensive nature of training and inference in AI, illustrated through instances like chat GPT. It prompts reflection on the AI sector's escalating carbon footprint and its potential role in addressing climate change.
Artificial intelligence companies have lofty ambitions for what the technology could achieve, from curing diseases to eliminating poverty. But the energy required to power these innovations is threatening critical environmental targets. Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s energy correspondent, Jillian Ambrose, and UK technology editor, Alex Hern, to find out how big AI’s energy problem is, and whether it can be solved before it is too late. Help support our independent journalism at
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