Conversations around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in business typically centre around data security, ethical uses and the risk of over-reliance on the emerging technology. But there is also growing discussion and concern around AI’s environmental footprint and rightly so.

Over the past decade, demand for cloud computing and digital services has focused minds on energy optimization, with modern data centres increasingly adopting energy-efficient hardware and advance cooling systems leading to improved power usage effective averages across the industry. However, the reality is that the energy demands of AI, powered by data centres, significantly outpace current efficiency gains.

Then, there’s the energy consumption of AI image generation. While an AI model generating text in response to 1,000 prompts requires as much 16% of a full smartphone charge, generating an image requires the equivalent of 100%.

Lastly, operational logistics, including construction and maintenance, account for up to two-thirds of a data centre's lifetime emissions. Emissions from building infrastructure, manufacturing IT equipment and chip manufacturing requirements of data centres contribute significantly to AI’s environmental footprint.

As AI workloads expand, so do their power demands. The World Bank estimates that AI’s wider industry category of information and communications technology currently generates at least 1.7% of global emissions. While this percentage may seem modest, current figures only reflect today’s reported AI usage and not tomorrow’s actual consumption.

AI adoption continues to accelerate – and also considering increased global digital penetration, expansion of cloud storage, internet of things uptake and the growing prevalence of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies – the collective impact on climate change could become significantly larger, even as environmental efficiencies are factored in.

Under current growth trajectories, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts global data centres may consume up to 1,000 TWh of electricity in 2026 – an increase of 400% from 2022.

Meanwhile, reports from major tech giants support these projections with Google and Microsoft recently disclosing year-on-year increases in emissions, warning these trends challenge their climate commitments. That said, many businesses are still innovating new ways to respond to the impacts of their energy use.

Many prominent organizations associated with cloud computing and AI development have taken strong stances on tackling emissions and climate. For example:

Amid continued investment in computing infrastructure and AI development, looking to industry leaders can provide inspiration for improving energy management and reducing emissions.

As we consider the need to address the environmental impact of AI use as part of global efforts to build a sustainable future, organizations of all sizes can pull their weight in the following ways:

Amid the public discourse around AI and its undeniable environmental impact, many argue that it can also be a powerful tool in the fight against climate change – and they’re right.

AI can quickly and effectively analyse significant volumes of data to provide insights into climate trends and the effectiveness of emissions reduction strategies that can lead to faster action. Additional capabilities for AI to positively contribute to fighting climate change include:

Maintaining awareness of the sustainability expectations of investors, suppliers and consumers, and tracking and reporting energy use and emissions, is best practice for organizations wanting to tackle AI-driven emissions.

Publishing an annual emissions inventory that is subject to third-party assurance or by becoming ISO 14001 certified, gives stakeholders confidence that you are committed to sustainability, while ISO 42001 certification also demonstrates a commitment to using ethical, trustworthy and accountable AI systems. It’s also vital to ensure you keep up with and emerging sustainability and AI regulations as they evolve.

AI’s energy and water consumption remains a hot topic – be it in the media or with large ICT corporations seeing it impact their ambitious climate goals. From startups to global enterprises, everyone must do what they can to curb the resource consumption and emissions driven by AI use and make efforts to preserve our planet.

By learning about the measures being taken from leading businesses and adopting practical strategies, there are actionable steps your organization can take today to align your AI strategies and sustainability goals. The time to act is now.