The Pathetic Reality At The Heart Of The AI Revolution
This proves we were right all along.
There are a million and one reasons why the AI revolution is a step in the wrong direction, and by now, I feel like I have written an article discussing every single one. But arguably, one of the worst reasons is its energy use. AI is predicted to use up to 1,050 TWh per year by 2026, equivalent to the current energy use of Germany or more than twice its already ballooning rate. This is threatening to undo the tiny amount of climate progress we have managed to achieve and allow big tech companies to become some of the worst polluters on the planet. As a result, the major AI companies are turning to nuclear power, and every serious climate scientist has collectively held their head in their hands.
Right now, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are the most notorious AI corporations because they not only develop their own AI but also build, maintain, and operate AI infrastructure, such as data centres, for both themselves and other AI companies. For example, while OpenAI is the largest AI company in the world, it uses Microsoft infrastructure to run. As such, the vast majority of the AI industry’s infrastructure expansion and exponentially growing energy use are thanks to these three companies.
