Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to grow. From powering voice assistants to revolutionizing industries like healthcare and finance, AI is gaining a growing role in our daily lives. Even simple advancements like a humanistic voice feature on ChatGPT demonstrate the continued increase in ability.
However, at the same time, AI’s rapid expansion raises concerns about its environmental impact, particularly on freshwater resources. Reports have shared that AI continues to impact the amount of available freshwater. This is of significance because only 3% of Earth’s water is fresh and over two billion people face water scarcity, with global water stress expected to worsen significantly by 2030.
AI’s growing water demands are linked to cooling data centers and energy-intensive processes, such as wafer fabrication, which consume significant water with limited recycling. Data centers alone may use up to hundreds of thousands of liters of water daily, depending on their size and cooling systems. Additionally, even AI platforms like ChatGTP use a significant amount of water– running GPT-3 for 10-50 queries uses approximately 500 milliliters of water.
AI may potentially have a larger impact on climate change beyond just water. Currently, there are many discussions regarding the use of coal-powered energy to fuel AI systems. Though this may solve the water issue, this introduces the idea of increased greenhouse gas emissions, a clear contributor to global warming.
Regardless if AI uses significant water or coal-powered energy, it is impacting the sustainability of the world heavily. By intensifying resource depletion and contributing to carbon emissions, AI’s operations amplify environmental challenges, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable technology practices. People may overlook environmental concerns for AI because they prioritize the perceived benefits of technological advancement, such as increased efficiency, economic growth, and innovation. The potential of AI to address complex issues and improve productivity can sometimes shift focus away from its environmental impact.
However, a balance between environmental perspectives and other sectoral concerns is necessary to ensure a sustainable world. Stricter water recycling standards for AI-driven industries could potentially solve this, implementing advanced recycling technologies to minimize freshwater consumption and reduce water waste. Additionally, the transition to renewable energy sources with tax incentives could reduce the reliance on coal-powered energy and decreasing the carbon footprint associated with AI operations.
Ayan Kumar's Blog 