Political and business leaders need to develop policies that maximise the benefits to society while minimising the energy and carbon footprint of artificial intelligence, the Tony Blair Institute said in a report.
Greening AI: A policy agenda for artificial intelligence and the energy revolution says circleWhile AI shows the potential for a carbon-neutral future, in the short term it is straining resources and increasing emissions.
Despite many tech and energy companies promising to reduce their carbon emissions and add new clean power sources, companies and governments are turning to climate-unfriendly solutions, such as building gas-fired power plants, to meet the surge in demand from AI.
Despite its massive energy consumption, AI is enabling breakthroughs across the climate and energy sectors, accelerating climate science research on a massive scale, according to the report.
The institute points to the work of researchers at Google DeepMind, who recently discovered 2.2 million crystal structures, including 380,000 stable materials that could power future technologies such as batteries, computer chips and solar panels.
Without AI, it would have taken 800 years of knowledge to make the same discovery, demonstrating AI's invaluable speed and accuracy, the company said.
The report said governments that enable the rapid development of zero-carbon and low-carbon electricity will gain a competitive advantage in future as companies look to reduce emissions.
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TBI's previous report – The state of computing access: How to bridge the new digital divide – He explained why delaying the development of computer infrastructure until clean energy supplies catch up would not be a wise choice.
This challenge has already surfaced in countries such as Ireland, Singapore and the Netherlands, where power constraints have limited the construction of new data centers in certain areas.
In the United States, power supply delays and grid constraints are extending data center construction times by two to six years.
“As AI adoption increases, energy demand will also increase, putting pressure on national energy networks. But this interdependence can be leveraged for mutual benefit,” said Jared Haddon, senior director at the Abu Dhabi-based institute.
“[The institute’s] A new paper suggests that advances in AI could accelerate the clean energy transition, stimulating further innovation and investment in both computing infrastructure and green technologies.
“We call on political leaders to develop policies that maximize AI's societal benefits while minimizing its energy and carbon footprint.
“This positive feedback loop requires a concerted effort from both the public and private sectors.
“For countries beginning their AI development, there is an opportunity to establish green AI capabilities early and attract investment from large technology companies seeking new growth markets.
“For developed countries with vast computing resources, green AI can help reduce the cost of AI advancements through renewable energy, which is crucial for cost-sensitive data centers.”
“Governments need to accelerate the development of clean grid infrastructure and low- or zero-carbon computing infrastructure, as well as foster an enabling environment for the private sector to improve the energy efficiency of AI.”
“Approaches will vary depending on local circumstances and capabilities.”
To achieve this, the institute encourages governments to establish ways to advance national and green AI projects and foster collaboration with academia and the private sector to develop technical expertise and governance frameworks.
It also encourages policymakers to factor the energy needs of AI into infrastructure planning.
The report recommends that governments should adopt best practice metrics for reporting carbon emissions and energy use across the AI chain to address current gaps in measurement and accountability.
The institute also said governments need to innovate and be more flexible in their planning processes to support private investment in clean energy technologies, and should introduce a green AI certification scheme.
Governments should also encourage private sector innovation in advanced energy solutions such as nuclear and geothermal, and increase investment in green AI hardware and software.
The report also encourages international cooperation to accelerate global progress on green AI, leveraging platforms such as the Cop Breakthrough Agenda for high-level collaboration and agenda setting.
Updated: May 28, 2024 11:01 PM
