Although artificial intelligence will probably increase global energy consumption in the short term, its potential to drive down carbon emissions across a wide range of industries is immense. That is because technological progress now makes it possible to decouple economic growth from emissions.
LONDON – Historically, technological revolutions have brought higher carbon dioxide emissions – with the first Industrial Revolution being powered by coal, and the second heavily by oil. Will artificial intelligence – the general-purpose technology of our time – do the same? The early signs are concerning. Microsoft’s CO2 emissions jumped some 30% since 2020 as the company invested in AI infrastructure, and Google’s are up almost 50% over the past five years.
LONDON – Historically, technological revolutions have brought higher carbon dioxide emissions – with the first Industrial Revolution being powered by coal, and the second heavily by oil. Will artificial intelligence – the general-purpose technology of our time – do the same? The early signs are concerning. Microsoft’s CO2 emissions jumped some 30% since 2020 as the company invested in AI infrastructure, and Google’s are up almost 50% over the past five years.