Artificial intelligence (AI) has a significant environmental impact beyond its carbon footprint.
The computing power and electricity required to train and run AI systems result in carbon dioxide emissions.
The impact of AI on the climate crisis is difficult to calculate due to different types of AI requiring varying amounts of computing power.
-Experts recommend considering AI's emissions as only one aspect of its climate footprint.
AI can be used to optimize fossil fuel extraction, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
AI is also used in automated advertising, which boosts consumptive behavior and contributes to emissions from the fashion industry.
However, AI can also be applied to climate change mitigation, such as identifying damaged buildings in natural disasters and monitoring emissions.
Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ais-climate-impact-goes-beyond-its-emissions/
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