By Jamila Talishli, Year 12
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has quickly become an essential part of our everyday lives. Whether its assisting students with homework, writing emails, or even to brainstorm ideas for projects. Many of us use AI-powered tools without even realizing it- AI lets us get the fastest navigation, use auto-correct, and even filter our emails. AI is used globally in education, but also in business, helping businesses analyze their data and detect fraud, as well as for customer service. Even creative fields are now using AI to generate artwork, edit videos and compose music. With this huge diversity in AI’s abilities, the possibilities seem endless, but with this rapid technological expansion comes a significant environmental cost, often overlooked by AI users.
While AI seems to run seamlessly, with no visible consequences, the reality is that running these powerful systems requires massive amounts of computational power. For every AI-generated response, whether it’s a chat box like ChatGPT answering a question, or an AI model generating an image, these seemingly quick and simple tasks rely on complex machine algorithms that require energy-intensive processing. AI models must be trained on massive datasets which require powerful data centers to process and store the information, which leads to extremely high electricity consumption.
These data centers are essential for AI to work as well as it does, but has a huge carbon footprint. These facilities contain thousands of high-performing servers that operate all day and night, consuming enormous amounts of electricity. A single AI model can require weeks or even months of training, which requires them to use thousands of graphics processing units (GPUs), or tensor processing units (TPUs), which can consume as much energy as an entire small town.
Not only do these data centres use huge amounts of energy, but they also require water during construction and, once operating, cool electrical components. It is estimated that globally, infrastructure created for AI may soon consume over six times more water than Denmark, a country of 6 million people. This is a critical sustainability concern- many regions already face water scarcity, and the strain on natural resources is only expected to grow as AI-driven technology evolves.
Another concern is electronic waste. As AI hardware is rapidly advancing, any outdated processors, GPUs, and even entire servers are discarded, which contributes massively to global electronic waste. If these components aren’t properly disposed of or recycled, the components that contain hazardous material could add to environmental pollution and possibly create health risks.
Despite its large environmental cost, AI also has a huge potential in driving sustainability efforts. AI-powered systems can be used to optimize energy consumption in companies and enhance climate modeling to better predict and mitigate the effects of climate change. AI-driven technology can also help farmers use their resources more efficiently by analyzing soil conditions and weather patterns to optimize irrigation, and AI-powered grids can be used to balance electricity distribution, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
As AI continues to evolve every day, it becomes increasingly important to balance its innovation with sustainability. Although AI can enhance productivity and is extremely convenient, we must be mindful of the environmental consequences arising from its use. It is our responsability to encourage companies to work towards making AI more eco-friendly for a brighter future.
