AI: Clash of Views

Jack Graham

In the vast, imposing exhibition hall of Paris’ Grand Palais, world leaders and tech executives met last month to discuss the hot topic of today: Artificial Intelligence. The meeting was a clash of views US Vice President J D Vance told Europeans that “excessive regulation” could kill the AI industry, and along with Britain refused to sign its final declaration. One thing that everyone agrees on, though, is the need for energy. The energy required by AI is increasing all the time, particularly as new consumer products become more popular, from Open AI’s ChatGPT to Google’s Gemini. “There is no doubt that the high energy intensity of AI needs to be looked into”, said India Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his keynote speech. But will that energy supply be green? And could it take energy away from other uses, powering homes?

Co-hosting the summit with France, Modi and President Emmanuel Macron used the conference to promote their efforts to power with clean energy. Macron joked that he “plug, baby, plug” with nuclear energy to support AI with clean energy, instead of US President Donald Trump’s plan to “drill, baby, drill” with oil and gas.

In the United States, AI data centres are helping to derive huge power consumption which means about half the country is at risk of power supply shortfalls in the next decade. With a new $ 500 billion AI infrastructure plan, Trump said he would help tech firms produce energy to power the industry. And when the newly elected President says energy, he does not mean solar panels and wind turbines.

Before the Paris Summit, a coalition of NGOs, including Amnesty International and European Digital Rights, called on attendees to minimise the environmental harms of AI. They demanded that AI companies phase out fossil fuels, and track things like energy and water use as the infrastructure develops. Tech firms like Google, Meta and Microsoft have made a variety of green pledges, yet experts say the sector is not doing enough to mitigate the rising consumption of resources.

In truth, ‘the human brain manages to compose poetry and design spaceships using less power than most light-bulbs’. But the sheer scale of the AI industry in the coming decades means these technological solutions may not be sufficient. Analysts predict regulations will be crucial, like requiring firms to report on energy use and be powered by renewable, or even to develop in line with climate goals.

Judging by summit proceedings in Paris, however, the environment is not a top priority in the global AI race.

Jack Graham Is Deputy Editor Of Climate Change

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Frontier
Vol 57, No. 36, March 2 - 8, 2025