Growth of AI in US may emit 24-44 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide yearly: Study

New Delhi, Nov 11 (PTI) A study has estimated that the current rate of AI growth in the US may put 24-44 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide in the air yearly -- emissions similar to those from adding five to 10 million cars to US roads.

The study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, projects growth in AI usage to take up 731 to 1,125 million cubic metres of water every year, estimated to equal the yearly water usage in the households of 6-10 million Americans.

Researchers from Cornell University said the cumulative toll of AI use on the environment could put the industry's targets of achieving net-zero emissions out of reach.

"Artificial intelligence is changing every sector of society, but its rapid growth comes with a real footprint in energy, water and carbon," lead researcher Fengqi You, professor in energy systems engineering in Cornell University's college of engineering, said.

"Our study is built to answer a simple question: Given the magnitude of the AI computing boom, what environmental trajectory will it take? And more importantly, what choices steer it toward sustainability?" You said.

The researchers started compiling data related to varied aspects of financial, marketing and manufacturing sectors to understand how the AI industry is expanding. The data was combined with location-specific information on power systems and resource consumption, and how they relate with changes in climate.

The authors show that the deployment of AI servers across the United States could generate "an annual water footprint ranging from 731 to 1,125 million (cubic metres) and additional annual carbon emissions from 24 to 44 (metric tonnes) CO2-equivalent between 2024 and 2030, depending on the scale of expansion".

Charting environmental impacts of AI use state-by-state, the team found that data centres are being constructed in water-scarce regions, such as in the states of Nevada and Arizona.

Locating data facilities in regions that have lower water-stress and improving cooling efficiency of a data centre could slash AI's water demands by about 52 per cent, the researchers found.

Further, combining with best grid and operational practices, water demands of AI could be slashed by as much as 86 per cent, they said.

The researchers suggested smart siting, a faster grid decarbonisation and operational efficiency to cut carbon emissions due to AI use by 73 per cent and water demands by 86 per cent.

However, even as "best practices may reduce emissions and water footprints by up to 73 per cent and 86 per cent, respectively, their effectiveness is constrained by current (clean) energy infrastructure limitations," the authors said. PTI KRS KRS MAH MAH