IEA: AI holds potential to reduce emissions worth three times its own footprint
But barriers to adoption could severely limit this positive impact.
A new report by the International Energy Agency suggests that, if widely adopted across energy-intensive industries, artificial intelligence (AI) could drive emissions reductions three times larger than what AI’s own electricity demand is expected to cause.
The study, drawing on new datasets and extensive consultation with policymakers, the tech sector, the energy industry and international experts, suggests that, under the right conditions, AI’s emissions benefits would largely outweigh its impacts.
