Despite this, research by Goldman Sachs and the Electric Power Research Institute predicts that data centers in the US could account for up to 9% of all electricity used by 2030. Microsoft itself admitted that it had increased CO2 emissions by nearly 30% since 2020 due to the construction and provisioning of more data centers. Gates believes that the additional demand created by AI data centers will be offset by new investments in green electricity, as tech companies are willing to pay extra for clean energy sources.
Key takeaways:
- Bill Gates believes that AI will help reduce power consumption and drive the transition to sustainable energy, despite the high power draw required for AI processing.
- He contradicted himself in an interview, suggesting that AI could cause datacenters to use up to 6 percent of global electricity, but dismissed estimates above 10 percent.
- Microsoft disclosed that it had increased carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 30 percent since 2020, due to the construction and provisioning of more datacenters for online services, including AI.
- Breakthrough Energy, founded by Gates and backed by other high-profile investors, has invested in over 100 companies developing sustainable energy and technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.