Capgemini: Gen AI’s Carbon Footprint Sparks Urgent Sustainability Concerns
Paris, January 15, 2025 – A shocking report that was put together by Capgemini Research Institute shows that 48% of executives are of the view that AI Generative (AI Gen) has greatly increased the emission of greenhouse gases actions needed to protect the environment.
Even so, more than half are willing to sacrifice sustainability to be more efficient, making the environmental consequences of such a quick developing technology worse.
The report titled “Developing Sustainable Gen AI”, shows the cost of this technology which has meaningfully increased demand for computing and therefore expereates energy consumption.
This technology has been integrated by 24% of organizations currently in 2024, a rise from 6% in the previous year and as a result increasing its carbon emission.
Executives think that in the next two years, the percentage of emissions generated by AI could nearly double as AI gas emissions could go from 2.6% to 4.8%.
“In order for Gen AI to be an enabler of sustainable business value, it has to have a universal set of rules on how its environmental footprint is estimated. AI is capable of furthering sustainability efforts, but if there is no proper governance in place, the environmental harm caused could negate all the potential benefits.”
Said Cyril Garcia, Head of Global Sustainability Services and Corporate Responsibility, Capgemini
He appealed for better communication between stakeholders in order to guarantee the responsible and ethical application of AI. Even as some organizations take steps to integrate renewable energy sources and streamline their AI processes, only 12% carry out environmental analysis on Gen AI.
The study goes on to recommend that organizations consider both the financial and environmental implications of their AI undertakings including the use of smaller models and greener data centers.
The report further discusses other areas in which Gen AI can make an impact, such as emission cutting technologies, ESG reporting and optimization, so long as reducing environmental impact should be a key goal.
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