We are experiencing the rise of the artificial intelligence generative algorithms, a tool that fascinates with its ability to imitate human thought. However, not everything is rosy. This technology requires ten times more energy than traditional algorithms. Google and Microsoft, for example, leaders in the sector, generate energy consumption greater than that of 100 different countries.
According to analyst Michael Thomas, citing data from the EIA Monthly Energy Review, Google and Microsoft data centers consumed 24 TWh of electricity in 2023, an expenditure that exceeds that of countries such as Jordan, Libya, Iceland, Ghana and the Dominican Republic, among others. Thus, about 100 nations consume less electricity than these two companies.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates remains optimistic that big tech companies have boosted their energy consumption with AI, as they will thus reinvest more resources in renewable energy. Both companies have reported significant profits in 2023: Google with $307 billion and Microsoft with $211 billion.
Despite optimistic wishes, the reality is that Microsoft reported an increase in its emissions of 31%, while Google has seen an increase 48% over the past five yearsas reported by Xataka.
While both companies aim to reach net-zero emissions by the end of the decade, the growing demand for AI is putting these goals in doubt. The same is true for water consumption. Microsoft aims to reduce its consumption by 95% and Google wants to replenish more water than it uses by 2030, but the figure is currently just 18%, mainly due to the cooling needs of data centres, which have increased with the expansion of AI.
Both Google and Microsoft have plans to invest not only in cleaner energy, but also in developing more energy-efficient hardware. But whether these solutions will be enough to turn them into emissions-free companies remains to be seen.