AI challenges Google’s climate targets

Google’s climate neutrality goal by 2030 is made difficult by the energy-demanding use of artificial intelligence, reports The Guardian. The company announced a 48% increase in greenhouse gas emissions over the past five years, attributed mainly to their data centers and supply chain emissions. AI, capable of making decisions and performing tasks autonomously, is expected to significantly impact energy usage. The International Energy Agency predicts that data centers will double their energy consumption from 2022 to 2026. By 2030, due to AI development, data centers are estimated to use 4.5% of global energy production. Tech giants like Apple, Facebook, and Google all operate data centers in Denmark. Google describes its climate goal as ‘extremely ambitious’ and acknowledges ‘significant uncertainties’ in achieving it, especially due to the unpredictable climate impacts of AI.