AI: environmental friend or foe?

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to drive innovation across all industries has increased significantly in recent years. Indeed, the proliferation of data science applications from genome sequencing for better disease diagnosis and prevention, to advances in leading edge engineering for autonomous driving, and climate modelling to combat Climate Change, has led to an exponential demand for High Performance Computing (HPC). AI for sustainability is one of the most promising new fields of study, with a recent report by PwC and Microsoft reporting that using AI for environmental applications in four key sectors could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 4% in just 10 years' time. Recent efforts include international non-profit organisation, Global Fishing Watch, using AI and satellite data to prevent overfishing, and wind companies using AI to get each turbine's propeller to produce more electricity per rotation by incorporating real time weather and operational data. But alongside worries about AI bias or human jobs being replaced by machines, concerns about the environmental impact of AI itself should be at the fore.