VOA: Artificial intelligence, high energy consumption and environmental impact

2025-02-13 21:14:32 / TRENDING ALFA PRESS

VOA: Artificial intelligence, high energy consumption and environmental impact

As world powers strive to take the lead in artificial intelligence technology, experts highlight the cost this technology poses to the environment.

A report by the Royal Academy of Engineering says the spread of artificial intelligence could fuel future competition for water and energy resources. As energy demands increase, the question arises whether this technology can be made more environmentally friendly?

Artificial intelligence is at the forefront of many of the world's new innovations. One of the biggest changes in society since the industrial revolution.

Almost every action on AI devices is tied to data centers. With its large buildings and supercomputers, this London hub consumes massive amounts of energy. The question is whether the expansion of renewable technology can meet the energy demands of artificial intelligence?

A large amount of water is also required for cooling data centers.

"Almost every action on phones or computers is connected to data centers. We have had problems meeting these demands. The future looks more difficult with the increase in demands as a result of the spread of artificial intelligence," says Spencer Lamb, who leads operations at the "KAO Data" center.

A report by the Royal Academy of Engineering suggests that the British government should require technology companies to provide official reports on their energy and water use.

The report says the spread of artificial intelligence is causing major environmental risks that could lead to competition for water and energy in the future.

Despite the value that AI offers, biologists express concern about the damage that artificial intelligence infrastructure can cause. This technology is helping biologists analyze photos of plankton.

Saskia Khl is a biologist at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

"We can't protect what we don't understand. To better understand plankton, (artificial intelligence) will help us measure and collect data with very high quality."

A day's worth of human observation and measurement work can be done by artificial intelligence in a matter of seconds. Researchers say the benefits of using artificial intelligence justify the use of more than half of the laboratory's electricity.

Gopal Ramchurn, professor of artificial intelligence at the University of Southampton, says detailed monitoring of energy and water consumption is necessary to manage environmental risks.

"In the worst case, if the use of natural resources by these centres is not managed, we will have to choose who will have priority in the supply of electricity in Britain, data centres or residents."

At the high-level meeting on artificial intelligence in Paris, experts told world leaders that renewable energy will struggle to meet the infrastructure needs of this technology.

"We know that AI can help mitigate climate change, but we also know that its trajectory is unsustainable," Anne Bouverot, special envoy for France and researcher in the field of artificial intelligence, told attendees.

World leaders and technology companies are discussing at a high-level meeting in Paris the advances of artificial intelligence in sectors such as health, education, the environment and other fields./ Voa

 

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