The AI and Society Institute, along with Capgemini, the Ecole normale supérieure (ENS-PLS), and the ENS Foundation, has launched a global Observatory focused on analyzing and mitigating the environmental impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) throughout its lifecycle. The initiative aims to establish a standardized methodology for sustainable AI usage, addressing the growing concerns over AI’s energy consumption, carbon footprint, and water usage, particularly with the rise of generative AI models.
- The Environmental Impact of AI: Challenges and Concerns
- Increasing Demand and Environmental Footprint: The growing adoption of AI, especially generative AI, is raising concerns about the environmental impact. Large generative AI models are found to consume 4,600 times more energy than traditional models, leading to a significant increase in electricity usage. By 2030, AI-related electricity consumption could surge by up to 24.4 times in extreme scenarios.
- Environmental Consequences: The widespread deployment of AI technologies is escalating not only energy consumption but also water use and carbon emissions, necessitating urgent measures to mitigate these effects.
- The Role of the Global Observatory on AI’s Environmental Impact
- Collaborative Effort: The Observatory brings together international experts from academia, business, and civil society to address the environmental challenges posed by AI technologies.
- Shared Methodology for Measuring Impact: One of the Observatory’s key goals is to establish a robust, shared methodology for assessing the environmental impact of AI throughout its lifecycle—from training to end-of-life.
- Open-Access Database: The Observatory aims to create a global, open-access database where AI developers and researchers can contribute data on their models’ environmental performance, fostering transparency and collaboration.
- Promoting Sustainable AI Practices
- Encouraging Sustainable AI Use: The Observatory is dedicated to promoting sustainable practices in AI development and deployment, ensuring that AI technologies can be harnessed responsibly while minimizing their environmental footprint.
- Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Dissemination: The Observatory will provide strategic insights, conduct research, and disseminate knowledge on how to mitigate AI’s environmental impact, influencing both public and private sector actions.
- Capgemini’s Role and Previous Research on Sustainable AI
- Capgemini’s Commitment to Sustainability: Capgemini, a leading global consulting firm, has long been committed to researching sustainable AI. Their previous reports include surveys of senior executives and papers on the environmental impacts of AI business portfolios, underscoring the need for clear and transparent methodologies.
- Efficiency vs. Environmental Cost: According to Capgemini’s Etienne Grass, companies seeking efficiency gains with AI must also address the environmental costs associated with large models, emphasizing the need for coordinated efforts across the AI value chain.
The launch of the Observatory represents a crucial step in ensuring that AI technologies are developed and deployed sustainably. By bringing together a wide range of stakeholders and promoting transparency, the Observatory aims to reduce the environmental impact of AI, particularly as it continues to play an increasingly significant role in various industries. Through strategic collaboration and research, the Observatory will help pave the way for responsible AI usage that balances innovation with environmental stewardship.
