AI Can Cause Massive Energy Crisis: UN
Artificial intelligence could consume enough water to meet the basic annual needs of 1.3 billion people and use more electricity … Read More The post AI Can Cause Massive Energy Crisis: UN appeared first on ProPakistani .
A recent report by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health warns that artificial intelligence could cause a massive energy crisis by 2030. The study projects that AI-driven data centers will consume 945 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, nearly three times the combined electricity consumption of three South Asian nations.
The expansion of AI infrastructure will not only increase electricity demand but also water consumption for cooling and power generation. The land footprint of AI's electricity needs could exceed 14,500 square kilometers, roughly twice the size of Indonesia's Jakarta metropolitan area. While carbon emissions are a concern, the report emphasizes that the environmental impact extends beyond emissions, as cleaner energy sources still require significant amounts of water and land.
AI inference accounts for the majority of AI's electricity use, with tasks like image and video generation consuming far more energy than basic text-based applications. As AI continues to grow, governments and technology companies must consider its overall environmental impact, including carbon, water, and land footprints, to avoid a potential energy crisis.
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