AI Could Harm Nature Before Aiding Climate
People have different opinions about generative AI and its impact on the climate. Some believe it can help fight carbon emissions. Others are skeptical because of the large amount of energy required to train and operate AI systems.
In my view, the future isn't about one thing or the other, but both things. Artificial intelligence could help with climate change in one area, but also make it worse in another. This could have both positive and negative consequences.
Growing Competition Amid Rising Temperatures
Big tech companies are competing for AI supremacy. Google and Microsoft are upgrading their search engines with new AI technology. They want to make user experiences better. However, these companies must consider how their actions will affect the environment.
In 2021, we found out how much energy it takes to train an AI. Google and Berkeley researchers wrote a paper about it. They used OpenAI's tool, called GPT3, and it took 1.287 gigawatt hours to speed it up. A gigawatt is usually only used for things like wind and nuclear power. It's a lot of energy! One gigawatt can turn on 100 million LED lights.
It's a concern that there isn't much transparency about emissions from advanced generative AI. These tools will consume more power as they grow bigger.
AI can help prevent environmental catastrophe. It can also anticipate and plan for the effects of climate change.
Business leaders are optimistic about AI. A survey showed that 87% of CEOs think AI is important for fighting climate change. There is proof that AI can help evaluate climate risks. This is important for our efforts to protect the planet.
Climate.ai created a platform that assists businesses with climate disruptions. They obtained $22 million in funding recently. The company claims they stopped 887k metric tonnes of CO2e from releasing into the air.
"Regulation And Policy: A Necessary Call"
AI is helpful in industries such as building, energy, and shipping. With AI, businesses can make processes more efficient and decrease emissions. DeepSea Technologies is one company using AI to reduce CO2 output. They analyze cargo ships and give the crew guidance on how to operate the ship better. This company believes they can reduce fuel usage by 10% during these voyages. That amounts to a lot of bunker fuel savings worldwide.
The world is changing fast. Two big trends are happening now. One is that our lives are becoming more digital. This will happen even more with new AI technology. Another trend is that we want to make the world cleaner. We need to use less carbon. These two trends are happening at the same time. We need to make sure that our AI technology helps us reduce carbon, not make more of it. To do this, we need rules and policies to guide us.
