Google's stupid AI answers have caused greenhouse gas emissions to increase by nearly 50% over the past five years.

As one of the largest and most influential technology companies in the world, Google has made a variety of promises about how the company will operate now and in the future. We have come a long way from the innocent days of “don’t be evil” and are entering the realm of more mundane, yet potentially momentous, things like a goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2030.

Google has published its 2024 environmental report, which includes a section euphemistically titled “AI for Sustainability,” where users can follow AI's guide to scouring the report. This is quite ironic: the gist of the report is that Google's emissions have skyrocketed due to AI projects. The report reveals that the company's increased use of power-hungry data centers for AI research has led to a 48% increase in greenhouse gas emissions over the past five years.

Google blames its own electricity consumption and expanding supply chain for its 2023 emissions, which will reach 14.3 million tonnes, a 13% increase over 2022. It's important to note that Google's net-zero goal requires a significant reduction in emissions.

“We know that achieving net-zero emissions by 2030 is an extremely ambitious goal and will not be easy,” the report said. “Our approach will need to continue to evolve and navigate significant uncertainties, including uncertainties about the future environmental impacts of AI, which are complex and difficult to predict.”

Well… at this point, it seems like AI’s environmental impact is all but certain. Plus, Google is basically sitting on its hands: “Solutions to several key global challenges do not currently exist and will depend heavily on a broader clean energy transition.” In other words, no one’s running nuclear fusion yet, so don’t blame us.

Unsurprisingly, the report claims that AI will help solve the carbon emissions problem by 2030: “AI could help mitigate 5-10% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030.” Google also lists ways it could help with traffic routing efficiency and traffic light operation, which is all well and good, but it doesn't say whether it addresses the key issue at hand: carbon.

At the very least, some agree that AI will eventually offset its own energy consumption. “Let's not go too far on this,” Bill Gates told reporters at a recent conference. “Data centers, at their most extreme, are an additional 6 percent. [in energy demand] But it's probably only 2% to 2.5%. The question is, can AI accelerate that reduction to 6% or more? The answer is 'Absolutely.'”

Stay up to date on the biggest news and deals picked by the PC Gamer team.

At the end of the report, Google includes an extensive list of organizations it works with and initiatives it supports. It makes for odd reading, because while it's nice to see some of Google's endless funds going to restoring “750 acres of monarch butterfly habitat across California,” it's unclear whether that amounts to any meaningful countermeasure to over 14 million tons of emissions.

Unless there is an unexpected breakthrough, the situation is not likely to get better. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that data center electricity usage will only continue to grow and could double to 1,000 TWh (terawatt-hours) in the next two years. This estimate is widely accepted among analysts, some of whom believe that AI-driven consumption is pushing the world towards a global energy crisis. Here's another encouraging statistic: in 2022, Microsoft and Google data centers used 32 billion liters of water. And when they run faster, they run hotter.

These numbers are staggering, and indicative of the full commitment of big tech companies to pushing AI technology forward. So far, the only real answers seem to be poor quality chatbots, shoddy images, and endless promises that this will one day change the world in some way, but it's natural to wonder what will actually be gained from using this vast amount of resources.

So while we may all end up burning our skin one day, at least our AI companions will be able to advise us on how best to mitigate the side effects of our impending death. By 2030, AI may have a good answer.

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/googles-dumb-ai-answers-increased-its-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-nearly-50-in-the-last-5-years/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos