Clean AI: On AI data centres and energy demand
The International Monetary Fund’s report that pointed to the likelihood of the economic gains of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications outweighing the environmental costs of the increased energy demand that AI data centres will require is reassuring. It underscores that this transformational technology is not fundamentally at odds with the global imperative to pursue sustainable growth strategies across the board. Countries that are better prepared with renewable energy generation are bound to see a lower social and environmental cost to pursuing their AI ambitions. India’s AI infrastructure — at least the part of it that the government is indirectly funding through the IndiaAI Mission — does not rise to the level of weighing at a macro level on the nation’s energy mix. Still, the need for pursuing renewables specifically for AI is necessary to follow. This is already in a sense the government’s approach to the issue, outlined at the AI Action Summit in Paris earlier this year. While AI is not the sole industry where a push for renewable energy and sustainable practices is important, the sector nevertheless offers itself up for two main reasons. The first is the sheer volume of electricity that it is set to consume. The IMF’s report indicates that in the United States — the single largest home for AI computing capacity globally — “AI expansion alone could increase electricity prices by up to 9 percent, adding to price pressures coming from many other sources”. As such, renewable energy could play a major role in cushioning against a multifold rise in emissions that conventional energy sources would likely entail. The second is that data centres lend themselves uniquely to captive renewable infrastructure. Some Indian firms have already made moves to purchase renewable energy, and the hundreds of acres that data centres occupy are ripe for complementing equipment with solar cells. Nuclear energy may also turn out to be a welcome contribution: small modular reactors at emerging data centre clusters, in conjunction with other renewable sources, would avert a sizeable quantity of emissions.Electricity use is not the only environmental footprint that the AI age will leave behind — the technology requires large-scale mining of minerals and water use, and produces effluents in the manufacturing of the electronics supply chain. As electronics manufacturing is another space that India aspires to grow in, these opportunities must be pursued in this area too. India’s net zero target for 2070 will demand a scaling down of conventional sources of emissions, and managing the rise of industries that are poised to expand their of global energy consumption.
-
International Monetary Fund (IMF) (noun) – a global organization of 190 member countries working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, and promote high employment and sustainable economic growth
अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मुद्रा कोष
-
Point out (phrasal verb) – Indicate, highlight, draw attention to, underline, emphasize
इंगित करना
-
Likelihood (noun) – probability, chance, possibility, prospect, odds
संभावना
-
Outweigh (verb) – surpass, exceed, overshadow, dominate, overbalance
अधिक महत्वपूर्ण होना
-
Reassuring (adjective) – restoring or boosting confidence; certainty, encouraging
आश्वासनपूर्ण
-
Underscore (verb) – emphasize, highlight, stress, underline
जोर देना
-
At odds (phrase) – In disagreement, in conflict, at variance, opposed, in opposition
विरोध में
-
Imperative (noun) – An essential or urgent thing.
आत्यावश्यक
-
Pursue (verb) – strive for, push towards, work towards, पीछा करना, लक्ष्य रखना
-
Sustainable development (noun) – Economic development that is conducted without depletion of natural resources.
सतत विकास
Sustainable (adjective) – supportable, tenable, viable, endurable, maintainable. टिकाऊ
-
Across the board (phrase) – universally, comprehensively, everywhere, throughout, entirely
सर्वव्यापी रूप से
-
Weigh (verb) – to have an influence
प्रभाव डालना
-
Macro (adjective) – Large-scale, broad, comprehensive, extensive, overall
व्यापक
Outline (verb) – delineate, sketch, draft, trace, depict
रूपरेखा तैयार करना
-
Sole (adjective) – only, single, exclusive, lone, unique,
एकमात्र
-
Nevertheless (adverb) – in spite of everything, in spite of that, nonetheless, even so
फिर भी
-
Sheer (adjective) – Absolute, pure, total, complete, utter
पूर्ण
-
Set (adjective) – ready, prepared, equipped, primed तैयार
-
Cushion (verb) – to reduce the unpleasant effect of something
किसी के अप्रिय प्रभाव को कम करना
-
Multifold (adjective) – multiple, numerous, many, manifold, various
कई गुना
-
Emission (noun) – discharge, release, outpouring, outflow उत्सर्जन
-
Conventional (adjective) – normal, standard, regular, ordinary, usual, traditional
पारंपरिक
-
Entail (verb) – Involve, necessitate, require, demand, need
आवश्यक बनाना
-
Captive renewable infrastructure (noun) – a facility that provides a localised source of power to an energy user
-
Ripe (for) (adjective) – Ready, suitable, prepared, mature, ideal
तैयार
-
Complement (verb) – Enhance, complete, supplement, augment, add to
पूरक बनाना
-
Turn out to be (phrase) – Prove to be, end up being, result in, become
साबित होना
-
In conjunction (phrase) – Together, jointly, in collaboration, simultaneously, in combination
संयुक्त रूप से
-
Avert (verb) – Prevent, avoid, stop, ward off, stave off,
टालना
-
Footprint (noun) – impression, mark, outline, footmark
पदचिह्न
-
Large-scale (adjective) – extensive, wide-ranging, broad, massive
बड़े पैमाने पर
-
Outflow, discharge, emission, waste
प्रवाह
-
Space (noun) – Area, sphere, domain
क्षेत्र
-
Aspire (verb) – aim, hope, desire, want, wish
आकांक्षा करना
-
Net zero target (noun) – it refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that's produced and the amount that's removed from the atmosphere.
-
Scale down (phrasal verb) – Reduce, decrease, diminish, cut back, lessen
घटाना
-
Poise (to) (verb) – be ready to act; about to do something
के लिए तैयार होना
-
Lend (verb) – add, impart, give, bestow, confer, provide देना
-
Renewable energy (noun) – energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed