UK’s AI Boom Risks Climate Goals, Report Warns
▼ Summary
– A University of Cambridge report warns the UK’s AI leadership ambitions could derail its climate targets without urgent action, due to soaring energy demands.
– Unchecked AI growth may increase global tech sector energy use 25-fold by 2040, straining power grids and accelerating carbon emissions.
– Data centres, already responsible for 1.5% of global emissions, could reach 8% by 2040, surpassing air travel’s footprint in some regions.
– Big Tech’s emissions are rising sharply (Google: +51%, Microsoft: +41% since 2019), but transparency gaps likely underreport the true environmental impact.
– The report calls for stricter oversight, including energy efficiency targets for data centres and tying AI funding to clean power, while criticising the exclusion of civil society from UK policy discussions.
The UK’s ambitious plans to become a global AI leader could clash with its climate commitments, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. A study by the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy reveals that unchecked AI expansion might trigger a staggering 25-fold surge in the tech sector’s energy consumption by 2040, jeopardizing net-zero targets.
Currently, data centers contribute roughly 1.5% of worldwide emissions, but projections suggest this could skyrocket to 8% within 16 years, eclipsing the carbon footprint of aviation. In tech-heavy economies like Ireland, data centers already consume up to 20% of national electricity. Despite corporate sustainability pledges, emissions from major players like Google and Microsoft have surged by 51% and 41% respectively since 2019.
The report highlights a critical lack of transparency in how tech firms measure and report their environmental impact. “Tech companies remain evasive about AI’s true energy costs,” says lead researcher Bhargav Srinivasa Desikan. “Governments must intervene now, relying on voluntary corporate action risks derailing climate progress.”
The UK government has aggressively courted AI investment, with firms like Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, and Blackstone pouring billions into data center projects. While these investments promise economic growth, the study warns of insufficient oversight. It urges regulators like Ofgem to enforce strict efficiency standards and tie public funding to renewable energy use.
Critics also point to the exclusion of environmental advocates from the UK’s newly formed AI Energy Council, which currently comprises only industry and energy representatives. “Every megawatt diverted to AI infrastructure means less for homes or essential industries,” notes Professor John Naughton, chair of the Minderoo advisory board. “Policymakers must be honest about these trade-offs.”
Without immediate reforms, the report concludes, the AI boom could undermine both climate goals and energy security. The findings challenge governments to balance technological ambition with environmental responsibility, a dilemma growing more urgent by the day.
(Source: The Next Web)
