AI is imposing huge energy costs on the environment. It takes approximately 114 to 1,000 Joules of electrical energy for an AI to generate a typical, short text response (such as a sentence or a small paragraph). Generating a single image requires about 2,282 joules, while a video requires roughly 324,000 joules (90 Watt-hours). 324,000 joules is enough to run a 700 watt microwave 7 minutes 43 seconds, enough to cook a frozen dinner. As so much of the AI queries are frivolous, is it really worth it to allow AI to be accessed in this way?
AI data centers will significantly increase energy consumption, with global demand projected to double to around 945 TWh by 2030, roughly Japan’s current usage, driven primarily by AI workloads. In the U.S., consumption could reach 426 TWh by 2030, over double 2024 levels, with AI being a key factor, straining grids and potentially requiring massive investment in infrastructure, with some forecasts suggesting data centers could account for 12% of total U.S. demand.
AI data centers are expected to increase U.S. electric bills by an average of 8% nationwide by 2030, with some areas seeing much higher spikes (like 25% in Virginia) as utilities build new infrastructure and manage soaring demand, leading to potentially $15-$30 extra monthly costs in places like Ohio and Maryland, though tech companies aim to cover some costs
Frivolous uses of AI should be banned while scientific uses condoned. In fact AI should only be used for research mostly in university settings. Medical research in particular could be advanced substantially by AI. Allowing every Tom, Dick and Harry use AI is not a good profit model for the high tech companies which are investing so heavily. Will they ever be able to make a profit on the average consumer? I doubt it.
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