April 1, 2025
By Daniel Hummell
Staff Writer
The rise of artificial intelligence is imminent. More people are using AI-based platforms than ever before. In a late-2024 survey conducted by McKinsey, a management and consulting firm, 78% of respondents said their organizations use AI, up from 72% in early 2024.
Individuals also use AI regularly. In a study conducted by consulting firm Gallup, 36% out of 4,000 surveyed individuals report they have used AI-enabled platforms within the past seven days. When asked about whether they have used Navigation apps, online shopping sites, social media services, streaming services, virtual assistants or weather apps, which utilize AI, 99% said they have within the past seven days, and 83% said they used at least four of them.
Unfortunately, more people using AI means more computers to power it. Computers require a lot of space and energy, so it is important to take into consideration its environmental impacts. More energy means more carbon dioxide emissions.
Energy is a finite resource that should be conserved. With the rise of AI, conserving energy is challenging.
AI cannot be powered without data centers. Data centers are buildings that house computers that power AI and other servers.
Many companies have data centers. For instance, Amazon has over 200. Thanks to the rise of AI, the power requirements for data centers was 460 terawatts in 2022, which is set to increase to 1,200 terawatts by 2026 according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. One simple ChatGPT search consumes about five times more electricity than a Google search, according to Vancouver-based marketing agency RW Digital. This jump is so significant because search engines like Google use pre-existing web pages, while ChatGPT and other chatbots generate their own.
Energy is a finite resource that should be conserved. With the rise of AI, conserving energy is challenging. As AI gets more advanced, the resources it takes up will grow substantially.
People around the world are making an effort to go green, with automobile companies like Jaguar and Stellantis and Tesla making electric vehicles and major OPEC members like Saudi Arabia diversifying their economies. Despite these innovations, with the AI craze, the world is taking steps backwards.
April is Earth Month, so it is especially important to consider the effects AI has on the environment. In order to mitigate AI’s environmental impact, people around the world can work on transitioning to renewable energy, such as wind or solar power. They can also work on finding energy-efficient practices to cancel out negative impacts on the environment.
Finally, they can limit their AI use only to when it is necessary. People do not need to use AI for entertainment, and they can use search engines like Google or Yahoo! to research.
AI is a valuable resource that many feel they cannot live without. However, there are still alternative ways of conducting research and using technology to complete daily tasks. For the sake of the planet, these alternatives should be embraced.
