«But every process we optimize with AI in our organizations is energy, resources, and emissions we are potentially reducing,” she pointed out. What is generative AI and what is its environmental impact? In that sense, the business leader specified that there are currently two models of artificial intelligence: traditional and generative. «So, the challenge is how to use AI strategically,” she added. How should AI be regulated? For Cordelia Bortoni, director of Growth Konfort, the regulation of artificial intelligence must go beyond social impact or data privacy, given that this technology is having an alarming environmental impact that damages not only ecosystems and life. «We always talk about the social impact, the impact of data privacy. Generative AI not only analyzes data but also creates content such as texts, images, or graphics. That is why these types of tools can consume up to 4,600 times more energy per query than a traditional model, explained Bortoni. «The challenge is not to stop artificial intelligence, because if we stop, we will fall behind because we live in a world where it is already evolving. However, its accelerated growth is also revealing a little-discussed problem: its environmental impact. If the current adoption rate — especially of generative AI — continues, the energy demand associated with this technology could multiply by up to 24 times by 2030, according to the Sustainable AI Scaling report. This growth represents a significant challenge, such as increased energy consumption, which translates into more emissions and an increase in global warming, just as governments seek to reduce their environmental impact and protect biodiversity. In an interview with Publimetro, Cordelia Bortoni, director of Konfort, commented that globally, data centers consume about 1.5% of the world's electricity, that is, 415 TWh per year, so with this increase it would be close to 945 TWh in just four years. «Yes, the use of artificial intelligence impacts global warming a lot. But with this report, we want to open the conversation within organizations and that will eventually push for legislation, these are hard data that reflect the environmental impact,” she concluded. Artificial intelligence has become a key tool for the operation of companies, media, banks, and digital platforms.
