47. The Environmental Impact of A.I.

10x the Energy of a Google Search: The Hidden Environmental Impact of AI.
 In this episode of The Circular Future podcast, host Stephanie McLarty, Head of Sustainability at Quantum Lifecycle Partners, dives into the environmental consequences of artificial intelligence. This episode uncovers the hidden costs of AI, including its massive energy, water, and material demands, while also exploring how AI can be part of the solution to sustainability challenges. Through insights and actionable strategies, this episode equips listeners to champion responsible AI use and circular economy practices in their businesses and communities.  

Key Takeaways:

• A single ChatGPT query consumes **10x the electricity** of a Google search, highlighting AI's significant energy demands.  
• Data centers powering AI require vast amounts of raw materials, rare earth metals, and water, with global AI water usage projected to exceed Denmark’s annual consumption by 2027.  
• AI has the potential to aid sustainability efforts by optimizing energy use, tracking emissions, and preventing environmental disasters.  
• Promoting circularity through electronics reuse and recycling helps recover valuable materials and reduces e-waste.  
• Individuals and businesses can mitigate AI’s environmental impact by using it mindfully, advocating for sustainable practices, and partnering with certified recyclers like Quantum Lifecycle Partners.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to AI's Environmental Impact
• 1:30 The Fourth Industrial Revolution
• 3:24 Real-world Benefits of AI in Business
• 4:32 The Environmental Elephant in the Room
• 6:28 AI as Part of the Solution
• 7:31 What We Can Do About It

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Artificial intelligence has revolutionized our world, but what can we do about the unsettling environmental impact of it? Welcome to the Circular Future, your access to thought leaders and innovations to help you be a business sustainability champion, even if it's not your core job. Up I'm your host, stephanie McLarty, head of Sustainability at Quantum Lifecycle Partners, your trusted partner in electronics circularity. This podcast is over two years old now, and that's roughly the window in which artificial intelligence, or AI, exploded into public consciousness. That's about when I learned about ChatGPT and experimented with it months later with the help of a colleague. It was truly mind-boggling what this new platform could do, but, as I subsequently learned, ai has an enormous environmental footprint that goes largely unnoticed. So let's talk about the benefits and also the impact of this technological revolution For those of us using AI tools. I think we've all had a moment where we were astounded by the possibilities of it. Case in point a couple of years ago, if I wanted to find themes in something, I would have plotted everything down and moved them around until the theme groupings made sense. Similar for making summaries I would have mapped out the key elements, reorganized and looked for patterns. Now we can simply use ChatGPT plug in the data set. Ask ChatGPT to do something for you and voila, in a matter of seconds we have it all done for us, or at least a first draft anyway. Chatgpt is now being used on a regular basis around the world. There are 400 million weekly active users, with 10 million paying subscribers. Chatgpt accounts for around 60%, that's 6-0% of the market share of all AI tools. I mean wow, but it's broader than just ChatGPT.

Speaker 1: 2:36

We are unquestionably in the age of artificial intelligence. Fun fact we're actually in the midst of a fourth industrial revolution. Yes, I said fourth. Here's a little history lesson. The first industrial revolution was in the late 1700s, with the steam engine bringing about railroads and industrialization like factories. The second industrial revolution was in the late 1800s and it was powered by electricity. The third was in the 1980s and it was the digital revolution. Think about how computers changed our lives and followed by the internet. And now here we are. Everything is being shaped by artificial intelligence.

Speaker 1: 3:25

We certainly see the possibilities in the electronics disposal and recycling space being able to better identify and sort products for better reuse and recycling outcomes, or identifying hazards within products, which helps keep everyone safe, being able to run certain processes in our business more efficiently. And hey, I won't forget the first time my quantum colleague showed me how to use ChatGBT to analyze our green team survey results. The tool took about 200 staff responses, summarized it and analyzed elements like the differences in responses between our office staff and our production staff in electronics recycling, and that had never been done before. And I just want you to know, there actually are AI podcast recording tools out there. But yes, this is still my voice and our producer still edits the show for real.

Speaker 1: 4:24

With all the possibility, there is a huge elephant in the room the environmental impact of AI. We may not see it overtly, but it's there. The reality is AI requires immense resources for material input, energy and even water. First off, to deliver AI, we need data centers. These data centers are run by high-performance servers and other hardware. That all requires a tremendous amount of commodities, even rare earth metals, in their manufacturing process. To make a single two kilogram computer requires around 800 kilograms of raw materials.

Speaker 1: 5:13

On the energy front, a request made through ChatGPT consumes 10 times the electricity of a Google search. Yes, you heard that. When you ask ChatGPT a question, it uses 10 times the electricity than if he had simply searched by Google. Then there's water. The data centers need water, particularly to cool the electrical components. Water consumption for AI is already surpassing that of entire countries, entire countries. Ai's global water consumption is projected to be four to six times the annual water usage of Denmark by 2027. This is at a time when we already don't have enough clean water in many parts of the world. And to top it off, because the use of AI is growing exponentially, so are the impacts, and the impacts are often distributed unevenly, with certain regions carrying a greater burden than others.

Speaker 1: 6:18

Is it all doom and gloom? No, on the flip side, ai can also be a solution and help the environment in a number of ways. There are lots of examples of AI helping to track greenhouse gas emissions and reduce them, to optimize energy usage, to anticipate failures that could lead to major environmental consequences, to wildlife preservation and so much more. There's also work being done at a global level. More than 190 countries have adopted recommendations on the ethical use of AI, which also covers environmental aspects. There is work being done on an industry level, too. There are advancements in energy efficiency and cooling in data centers. Some data centers are working towards net zero, building huge solar farms or purchasing renewable energy credits.

Speaker 1: 7:15

Using AI itself to reduce its own footprint, such as redirecting traffic to geographies with less environmental impact, is another key strategy. So what can we do on a personal or business level about this? First of all, let's talk about these impacts and share this message. Most people don't know. Secondly, let's be mindful in how we use AI. If something can presumably be answered by a Google search or even the good old-fashioned way of talking to someone, think about doing that.

Speaker 1: 7:52

We can all keep advocating for responsible and sustainable use of AI along with its development. When there is a groundswell of voices, action is so much more likely to be taken. Finally, in circularity, we need to optimize the reuse of electronics and ensure responsible recycling at the end of life, using a certified recycler like Quantum to recover parts and commodities. We're all part of the solution. And remember, if you're looking for a leader in electronics reuse and recycling, we'd love to chat Head on over to quantumlifecyclecom and contact us. This is a Quantum Lifecycle podcast and the producer is Sandra Trivedi. Thank you for being a Circular Future Champion in your company and beyond.