Environmental Costs of Artificial Intelligence

Shazia Mehboob

Islamabad: As Typhoon Bebinca approaches China’s densely populated eastern coastline, it underscores the growing impacts of climate change, especially in South and Southeast Asia, where extreme weather events such as floods and typhoons are becoming increasingly common.

While these natural disasters wreak havoc and displace countless lives, global discussions often focus on climate mitigation strategies. However, a significant issue often overlooked is the unintended environmental consequences of rapid technological advancement, particularly artificial intelligence (AI).

AI has revolutionized various industries worldwide, from improving healthcare diagnostics to optimizing supply chains. Generative AI models like ChatGPT and Midjourney, known for their sophisticated text and image creation capabilities, are transforming our interaction with technology.

Yet, this progress comes with a hidden environmental cost.

Sasha Luccioni, a researcher noted for her work on AI’s environmental impact, warns that AI consumes enormous amounts of energy—30 times more than traditional search engines.

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This is due to the massive computational power required to train AI models on billions of data points. Even after training, the energy demands continue with each user query, relying on energy-intensive servers to generate responses.

Despite AI seeming intangible, its environmental impact is very real.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that in 2022, AI and cryptocurrency mining together consumed nearly two percent of global electricity—about 460 terawatt-hours. This figure is expected to rise as AI becomes more prevalent.

This growing energy demand threatens climate action efforts and raises ethical concerns about prioritizing technological advancements over environmental responsibility.

Another troubling aspect is the lack of transparency from major tech companies. While companies like Google and Microsoft have pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, their greenhouse gas emissions have surged due to AI expansion.

This disparity between corporate promises and actual outcomes highlights the need for greater transparency and regulation.

The challenge is how to combat climate change when the technologies designed to advance society are also contributing to environmental degradation.

This issue is particularly urgent for countries like China, Pakistan, and India, which bear the brunt of climate-induced disasters. These states should remember that development must not come at the expense of human suffering.

Pakistan, one of the most vulnerable nations to climate change, faces recurring floods, droughts, and heatwaves. In a country already struggling with economic and social challenges, the increasing energy demand for AI technologies adds another layer of complexity.

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With limited resources to address climate change, countries may find themselves trapped in a cycle—forced to adopt AI for economic growth while dealing with its environmental repercussions.

So, what can be done?

The solution isn’t to reject AI but to advocate for “energy sobriety,” as Luccioni suggests. Policymakers, tech companies, and consumers need to collaborate to ensure that AI is developed and used responsibly.

This involves investing in energy-efficient AI models, increasing transparency about tech companies’ carbon footprints, and using AI only where it has a significant impact.

Tools like Luccioni’s CodeCarbon, which helps developers measure the carbon footprint of their code, are steps in the right direction, but broader systemic changes are needed. Governments must enhance their regulatory efforts to keep pace with AI’s rapid evolution.

Without a clear framework to measure and mitigate AI’s environmental impact, we risk worsening the climate crisis rather than addressing it.

By holding tech companies accountable for their carbon emissions and promoting greener innovations in AI, governments can play a crucial role in ensuring that technological progress does not come at the expense of our planet.

As Typhoon Bebinca threatens China’s coastline and millions prepare for its impact, we are reminded that climate change is no longer a distant threat but a current reality. It is time for states to rethink how they balance technological progress with environmental stewardship before it’s too late.

The writer is an investigative journalist based in Islamabad, a PhD scholar, a visiting lecturer, and the editor of PenPK.com. She tweets @thepenpk.