Google’s Green Goals Hit By AI’s Soaring Energy Demands
Google’s carbon emissions have risen 51% since 2019, mainly due to the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence, The Guardian reported.
Despite investments in clean energy and carbon removal, Google hasn’t been able to cut scope 3 emissions—indirect emissions from its supply chain. These have increased as more data centres are built to support AI.
Electricity use jumped 27% in the past year. Google is struggling to go green fast enough to match its rising energy needs.
Data centres powering AI models like Gemini and GPT-4 are heavy energy users. Their electricity use could double by 2026 to match Japan’s demand, and by 2030, AI may push them to consume 4.5% of global power.
The report also warns that AI could cause sudden, unpredictable spikes in energy use, making future demand harder to manage.
Why India's Data Protection Act Is Triggering Press Freedom Fears