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The effects of AI on the environment: Experts explain advantages and disadvantages in a new podcast!
In this article of the eco-institute, find out which environmental impacts have artificial intelligence (AI) and why it is important that it is transparent and measurable. The Senior Researcher Jens Gröger explains the advantages and disadvantages of AI for environmental benefits and emphasizes the importance of an ecological space view. Find out how AI can contribute to optimizing technical processes and what role legal regulations play. In addition, three levels of the environmental impact of AI are viewed in a differentiated way. Also listen to the podcast "How sustainable is artificial intelligence?" To learn more.
The effects of AI on the environment: Experts explain advantages and disadvantages in a new podcast!
Environmental effects of AI: focus on transparency and sustainability
Berlin, August 8, 2024 - since the publication of Chatgpt at the end of 2022, artificial intelligence (AI) has been on everyone's lips. But what about the climate balance of AI? Jens Gröger, Senior Researcher in the area of products & fabric flows at the eco-institute, emphasizes in a current podcast that the environmental impact of AI should be more focused on.
In delimitation to conventional computing, AI is based on large amounts of data and parallel computing processes. This also increases the energy requirement, which is currently already 1.5 percent of the German electricity requirement. In the future, a further increase will be expected, since more and more applications are being equipped with AI functions. For example, an inquiry consumes three times as much electricity as a conventional search query. The use of AI in office applications also significantly increases electricity consumption. The environmental effects of AI occur during training and in the operation of the systems. The training of Chatgpt in version 3 alone caused about 500 tons of CO2, while a single request emits around 4.5 grams of CO2.
Despite the potential negative effects of AI on the environment, there are also positive effects. AI can optimize technical processes, contribute to energy and resource saving and promote the circular economy. In the energy industry, KI can help, for example, to optimize renewable energies such as wind and solar energy. Nevertheless, many questions about the effects of AI are still open and require further research and legal regulation.
To measure the environmental impact of AI, scientists differentiate three levels: direct effects, indirect effects and systemic effects. While the direct effects are relatively predictable, the quantification of the indirect and systemic effects is more difficult.
Jens Gröger pleads for an ecological manual approach to the evaluation of KI: "In the ecological balance, we consider the entire life cycle of a product - from raw material extraction to production and use to disposal. This methodology can also be transferred to digital applications such as software and AI."
In order to reduce the energy consumption of digital applications, transparency should be in the foreground. Gröger suggests that environmental product information is provided with every digital service, for example in the form of a data package with information on energy and resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This would enable users and companies to pursue their CO2 footprint and other environmental effects and take appropriate measures to improve the balance sheet.
The podcast "Please turn!" The eco-institute is aimed at all with political and ecological interest from politics, science, media, NGOs and the public. The aim is to discuss sustainability transformations and take up daily topics.
Source: www.oeko.de/podcast
contact:
| name | Jens Gröger |
|---|---|
| position | Senior Resears in the area of products & fabric flows |
| institution | Öko-Institut e.v. |
| office | Berlin |
Telephone: +49 30 405085-378
Email: j.groeger@oeko.de