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How AI Impacts our Environment
Introduction
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming a huge part of our lives. It helps with online searches, smart home devices, language translation, medical research, navigation systems and more. Companies are building AI tools fast to improve business and make life easier. But all of this growth come with a hidden issue. AI uses a lot of energy and water, the sources mainly fossil fuels, which can affect our environment negatively.
AI's Energy And Water Use
AI works by learning from large amounts of data in a process called training. Training a large model can take weeks and use as much energy as five U.S. homes use in a year. Multiply that by many models, and you can see how AI’s energy needs add up quickly.According to a 2023 report from The New York Times, “Training GPT-3 in Microsoft’s data centers consumed 1,287 megawatt-hours of electricity and emitted over 550 tons of carbon dioxide.” That’s equal to driving a gas-powered car for over 1.2 million miles! Most of this energy still comes from fossil fuels. The more people use AI, the more electricity these centers will need unless they switch to clean, renewable energy. Plus, many data centers use water to cool their systems. Some use millions of gallons of water per year, stressing local water supplies. In dry areas, this can causes problems for communities and farms.
176 Tilowatts
Of Energy Annually
1.7 Billion
Of Energy Annually
115 Million
Daily Users in the U.S.
Hurricanes and Storm Surges
Hurricane form over warm ocean water and are becoming stronger and more dangerous. Warmer ocean caused by climate change give hurricanes more energy. That means more intense wind, more rain, and faster storm development. One big danger is the storm surge, a wall of ocean water pushed onto land by hurricane winds. If sea levels are already higher because of melting ice, the surge goes farther and floods more areas. Cities lik Miami, Houston, and New Orleans are especially at risk. Hurricane Ian in 2022 caused a storm surge over 12 feet in some area. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “Storm surges are often the deadliest part of hurricanes, especially in coastal zones where many people live. As the planet warms, scientists expect hurricanes to become more intense. This means more damage to homes, roads, and even schools. And it means that the effects of climate change aren’t just about hotter days, they’re about safety and survival during storm.
What we can do to help
Even though this is a big problem, there are ways to help. One major step is switching to renewable energy like wind, solar, and hydro power. These source don’t produce carbon dioxide and are much better for the Earth. If tech companies use clean energy for their data center, they can reduce AI’s carbon footprint.Some companies are already working toward this. Google report that their data center use 50% less energy than average and aim to run on carbon-free energy by 2030. “We believe AI can help the planet,” Google said, “but we must make sure it doesn’t harm it in the process.”
Conclusion
AI has the power to solve many problems, but it also creates new one if we’re not careful. The energy and water used to train AI systems contribute to global warming. That warming leads to rising oceans, stronger hurricanes, and more deadly storm surge. But we have the tools to fight back. By switching to renewable energy, designing better AI, and making small everyday changes, we can reduce the harm and protect our planet. If you love the planet, the planet will love you back.
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