Is AI actually bad for the environment or are we overreacting?

I’ve been reading a lot about AI lately, and one thing that keeps coming up is its environmental impact.

On one hand, AI models (especially large ones) need massive data centers. These consume a lot of electricity, require cooling systems, and in some regions even depend on non-renewable energy. Training a single large model can use as much energy as thousands of households over time.

But on the other hand, AI is also being used to reduce environmental impact.

So it feels like a bit of a paradox.

AI increases energy consumption, but it can also help industries become more efficient and sustainable.