Greening AI for sustainable computing

Technologies are providing solutions to many business and social problems. However, the solution itself is becoming a problem for climate action.

- PRANJAL SHARMA

Even artificial intelligence (AI)-based solutions, which are being increasingly used for climate action, are posing a new set of challenges for the world.

AI is being recognised as an energy guzzler and consequently a contributor to the climate crisis. The COP29 meeting recognised the importance of AI but also flagged concerns about its impact. At COP29, UN body International Telecommunication Union (ITU) emphasised the greening of AI and computing.

The energy consumption associated with AI technologies, particularly deep learning models, is substantial. Training large-scale AI models like GPT-3 and AlphaGo requires immense computational power, resulting in significant energy use. For instance, training GPT-3 required 1,287 MWh of electricity, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of over 120 US homes, according to research published by Springer.