AI's Rapid Growth Raises Climate Concerns
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AI energy use is growing rapidly - the IEA estimates it could double by 2026 to a level equal to Japan's entire electricity consumption
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Generative AI like ChatGPT is especially energy-intensive - a single ChatGPT request uses 2.9 watt-hours compared to 0.3 for a Google search
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Bigger AI models require more computing power and energy to train - training GPT-3 uses as much electricity as 130 US homes use in a year
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More AI means more data centers, which can rely on fossil fuels and require extensive cooling
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We need more transparency, efficiency standards, and "digital sobriety" around AI to limit its energy use and climate impacts