Source URL: https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/25/05/31/0049238/ai-could-consume-more-power-than-bitcoin-by-the-end-of-2025?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed
Source: Slashdot
Title: AI Could Consume More Power Than Bitcoin By the End of 2025
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Summary: The increasing energy consumption of artificial intelligence (AI) could surpass that of Bitcoin mining, posing significant environmental concerns as AI’s demand on electrical resources grows. Research indicates that by 2025, AI may consume nearly half of all electricity used by global data centers, leading to questions about the transparency of emissions related to AI.
Detailed Description: The rising energy demands of artificial intelligence are becoming a critical issue for both environmental sustainability and industry transparency. Key points from the analysis include:
– **Energy Consumption Concerns**: Alex de Vries-Gao’s research predicts that AI could use up to 82 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy by the end of 2025, which is comparable to the annual energy consumption of entire nations like Switzerland.
– **Corporate Transparency Gap**: Major technology companies often disclose their total carbon emissions; however, there is a lack of focus on how much of these emissions are attributable specifically to AI operations.
– **Methodology**: The research utilized a triangulation method that combined:
– Chip production data
– Corporate disclosures
– Estimates from industry analysts
– **AI Hardware Production**: The study points out a surge in the production of AI accelerators from leading manufacturers such as NVIDIA and AMD, estimating that these devices could collectively demand over 12 gigawatts (GW) of power.
– **Environmental Impact**: The growth in AI energy consumption highlights a potential conflict with global climate goals, necessitating further investigation and transparent reporting within the tech industry.
This analysis underscores the need for professionals in AI, cloud computing, and infrastructure security to consider not only the immediate technical dimensions of AI deployment but also its broader implications for energy consumption, climate change, and corporate accountability in emissions reporting. This blending of AI technology with environmental concerns represents a critical intersection for security and compliance professionals to address as they navigate regulatory and governance aspects of sustainable technological practices.