Artificial intelligence is one of the most advanced and sophisticated technologies in the tech industry, and it is known that it requires immense power to deliver experiences and supplement its operations in the world.
However, the fast-paced development of AI is also requiring more supercomputers to be built, which means that more processors are needed to handle the load.
While this means that the chip making industry is expanding significantly, it also causes a significant spike in global emissions as plants push more products at a faster pace.
AI Development Caused a Spike in Global Emissions
A recent study from the global non-profit organization Greenpeace has revealed how much the AI industry is affecting the planet with its ramped-up efforts to expand the technology. Using the latest information publicly available, Greenpeace saw that the development of chips and semiconductors needed for AI has increased fourfold last year.
From 99,200 metric tons of CO2 produced by the chipmaking industry in 2023, the figure rose to a whopping 453,700 metric tons of CO2 produced in 2024 alone. A vast majority of the figure is attributed to Taiwan’s chip industry, which produced 185,700 metric tons of carbon emissions, followed by South Korea, and then Japan.
It was also revealed that these three countries, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan, are heavily reliant on power grids that use fossil fuels for their production, and are some of the figures that greatly contribute to emissions.
Because of this massive development in the AI industry, many are now fearing that this could defeat the global decarbonization movements that look to reduce the planet’s carbon footprint and harmful effects.
The massive demand for AI chip development is now significantly affecting the environment, with other sources of power also explored by the said countries to expand more on their access to power.
AI Chip Development Requires More Power From Grids
In the report by Greenpeace, it is expected that these top three countries producing the most carbon emissions could potentially require more power from grids to sustain their needs to push for more AI chips to be produced.
According to the organization, the global power requirements for AI could potentially increase by 170 times by 2030.
That being said, based on the International Energy Agency’s analysis, the US could be requiring more power to process data compared to renowned energy-intensive goods manufacturing.
Is AI Development Bad For the Environment?
There have been various reports in the past that claim that the ramping AI development of the puts a significant strain on the environment as more power is required and its carbon emissions grow by the minute.
It is no longer a secret that AI takes up a significant chunk of the world’s energy requirements, and as the development expands more, its needs also rise.
Greenpeace is recommending that AI chip manufacturers should transition to renewable energy for their operations moving forward so as to avoid straining local grids and contributing to the planet’s destruction.Source: Tech Times / Digpu NewsTex