Environmental Damage of AI Could Be Offset
Despite the worrying findings, the report also notes that fears over AI’s environmental impact may be overstated. This is because the potential upsides of AI adoption will offset some of the worst effects – for example, by making manufacturing and logistics more energy-efficient and thus less greenhouse gas-emitting.
According to Faith Birol, the executive director at IEA: “With the rise of AI, the energy sector is at the forefront of one of the most important technological revolutions of our time. AI is a tool, potentially an incredibly powerful one, but it is up to us – our societies, governments, and companies – how we use it.”
Among the cited examples, AI could make it easier to design electricity grids to take more renewable energy, as well as assisting in the design of more efficient cities, with optimal public transport and traffic systems. However, the report cautions, this will require greater governmental oversight than what we are seeing at the moment.
