Artificial intelligence could cut global climate pollution by up to 5.4 billion metric tons a year over the next decade if it’s harnessed in ways that would improve transportation, energy and food production.
Those reductions would outweigh even the expected increase in global energy consumption and emissions that would be created by running power-hungry data centers associated with AI, according to research by the Grantham Research Institute that was published in the journal npj Climate Action.
“The key will be to channel practical AI applications towards key impact areas to accelerate the market adoption rate and efficiency of low-carbon solutions,” the study said, noting that governments will have a vital role to play.
“Governments must regulate AI to minimise their environmental footprint,” the study said, pointing to the need for energy efficient AI models and the use of renewable energy to power data centers.
