Poised to

Amid the many debates about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence, some researchers argue that an important concern is being overlooked: the energy used by computers to train and run large Al models.

Alex de Vries at the VU Amsterdam School of Business and Economics warns that Al’s growth is poised to make it a significant contributor to global carbon emissions. He estimates that if Google switched its whole search business to Al, it would end up using 29.3 terawatt-hours per year — equivalent to the electricity consumption of Ireland, and almost double the company’s total energy consumption of 15.4 terawatt-hours in 2020. Google didn’t respond to a request for comment.
–New Scientist