Growing energy demands linked to AI technologies raise concerns, says Victor Galaz from Stockholm Resilience Center

Every time you perform a simple search through an AI-driven chatbot like ChatGPT, approximately half a liter of water is needed to cool the data centers that support the system’s operation. This observation highlights the growing energy consumption and carbon footprint associated with search engines and chatbots, according to Victor Galaz, an associate professor at the Stockholm Resilience Center.

A recent report from the International Energy Agency estimates that energy usage by AI technologies will match Japan’s entire annual energy consumption by 2026. Galaz points out that both countries and tech companies are becoming increasingly aware of the rising energy demands.

Despite this awareness, AI companies like OpenAI lack transparency regarding their energy consumption for developing these systems, leading to only rough estimates of usage. Galaz suggests that this could be due to business secrets or a desire to avoid criticism.

For further insights, Victor Galaz addresses three questions related to AI and climate impact in a recent interview.