
In 2024, the average annual global temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than the pre -industrial levels for the first time. Emotions of greenhouse gas rises, window to reach zero by 2050, closed quickly.
Artificial intelligence systems (AI) can play an important role by improving energy efficiency, using resources, accelerating innovation and expanding people’s ability to act. But without a quick effort, this opportunity can escape.
The realization of Safar-achieving a balance between the amount of carbon emissions emitted from the removed quantity-by the middle of the century will require wide rapid transformations. Electricity generation should be almost doubled by 2050, as transportation, warmth and industries systems turn from fossil fuels to electrical energy. Renewable energy capacity must double three times by the end of this contract to meet the increasing demand without increasing emissions at the same time1.
Six barriers on zero zero – and how to get around them
Steel industries, cement, chemical and other industries-responsible for approximately a third of carbon-oxide emissions-must be transformed into emissions close to zero, although developed alternatives at reasonable prices are limited1. Carbon removal should increase quickly. Very durable removal methods such as improved rocky wavy – which can store CO2 For centuries to thousands of years – it must expand a thousand times by 2050, and remove Gigatonnes of Co2 Annually to help neutralize the most difficult emissions2. Progress is restricted by three barriers: the complexity of the system, slow innovation and workforce gaps. For example, electricity networks can become more difficult to manage them as dependent on non -central changing resources. Clean technology can also take years to develop and expand, and skilled workers are unexpected.
Artificial intelligence is not a silver bullet – but without it, these problems are unlikely to be solved quickly enough. A lot of attention has focused on high energy consumption and water use. These operational effects can strain local energy networks or exacerbate water stress, and should be actively treated. But they are not major engines to change the global climate. Its framing in this way that distracts his attention from focusing on the possibilities of manufacturing the transformative climate of Amnesty International and its greatest impact on the climate, which depends on how to use it.
Here, Amnesty International’s operational imprint in the context of its influence on the broader climate has shown five areas of work necessary to achieve technology capabilities to achieve a deep carbon.
The Climate Professor Book of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence demand for electricity is increasing quickly. The International Energy Agency (IEA) stated that the use of global electricity by data centers may be more than twice by 2030, as it reached about 3 % of global electricity consumption, with Amnesty International’s servers that lead nearly half of the growth3. In the United States, databases consume about 4.4 % of electricity and can reach 6.7-12 % by 2028, depending on the deployment and efficiency of artificial intelligence.4.
Fullly meet this increase with carbon -free energy is difficult. In the past, the developers of the data center gave priority only the cost and infrastructure. Now, many also consider the network’s ability and carbon emissions. But transportation and delay in transmission slows carbon -free electricity growth, which makes it difficult to keep pace with the demand for artificial intelligence.
Energy lights have energy classifications – so why can’t Ai chatbots not?
Some areas turn into natural gas to meet the increasing demand. In the center of Ohio, the organizers agreed to develop the new gas factories for the incoming data centers. In Northern Virginia, analysts were estimated from 10 to 15 GB of natural gas capacity go.nature.com/45zdgna).
However, from a global perspective, AI’s operational fingerprint remains modest. Data centers use about 1.5 % of global electricity and contribute to about 0.5 % of CO2 Emissions3. The use of water for cooling and electricity supply in the data center is about 560 million cubic meters annually, less than 0.08 % of global fresh water consumption3and5. By 2030, water consumption in the data center is expected to reach more than twice3. Although this is a modest global amount, demand for data resources can add pressure to the local network and water systems.
A demand was widely martyred-Chatbot Chatgpt needs to “drink” a 500ml water bottle for a simple conversation-but it is misleading. The analysis shows that 87 % of this water is used to cool the power plants6. This highlights an unknown fact: Electricity generation still uses fossil fuels mainly and is very intense for water. Every time you turn on the light, the water is consumed.
Chatgpt 2.5 billion daily inquiries It consumes about 0.5 % of the amount of electricity used every day by people watching TV in the United States. Daily consumption of water Chatbot – about 3700 m3 – Small for 690,000 m3 Used to operate American TVs, and about 43,000,000 m3 From the lost water daily in the United States due to the leakage of pipelines (see supplementary information).

A system that uses artificial intelligence technology and more than 1,000 cameras discovering forest fires in California.Credit: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty
Amnesty International’s largest climate will come from how to use it. It can increase emissions by enhancing fossil fuel extraction. Without sufficient guarantees for governance, artificial intelligence systems can undermine7.
But this technology can serve as a pivotal tool for reducing emissions by overcoming the barriers of complexity, speed and size. For example, dynamic lines classifications that support artificial intelligence (technology used to monitor the actual time of the upper power transmission) are used) data in actual time-such as temperature, wind speed and other weather conditions-to control the safe operating capacity of the power lines constantly. This can increase the transmission capacity by up to 40 %, allowing more energy from wind and solar technologies to flow across current networks and reduce the need to build a new expensive and time -consuming infrastructure (see go.nature.com/428hqx7).
Why should you finance the alliances of other wealthy countries?
Artificial intelligence also accelerates the search for low carbon materials, including cement alternatives. Cement production is one of the largest individual industrial sources of CO2 Emissions, mainly due to Clinker – the main link factor – which releases the production of large quantities of CO2 While treating limestone. Cutting these emissions requires the replacement of clinker with other materials that match its strength and durability. With traditional trial and error methods, this may take decades.
In May, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge showed that artificial intelligence can be used to accelerate this process significantly. Their system has wiped 88,000 scientific papers and analyzed data for one million rock samples, rapidly narrowing the field to 19 promising alternatives from Clinker – a mission said Soroush Mahmoudi, the main author and civil engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.8. However, the discovery is only the first step. The presentation of such materials to the market still includes a strict testing test, the movement of organizational approval and the persuasion of the conservative construction industry usually to adopt new products on a large scale.
IEA is estimated that by 2035, AI’s deployment in the energy sector can reduce the annual CO2 Emissions by 1.4 Gigown-more than twice the expected amount of data center emissions (see “artificial intelligence emissions”). These savings will come from controlling and predicting more intelligent to demand, system conditions and emissions3. Economists Nicolas Stern and his colleagues at the London College of Economics and Political Science have estimated the greatest potential:9.

Sources: Energy, Reference 3; Electricity, food and transportation, reference 9.
AI alone will not provide zero zero, but it is a powerful tool for deep and sustainable carbon. The realization of its full potential requires the following.
Five procedures
Invest in climate artificial intelligence. In 2024, climate technology of artificial intelligence raised $ 6 billion, most of which are directed towards commercially attractive sectors such as independent vehicles, energy, homes and agriculture.10. Decisive areas such as network integration, detection of materials and carbon removal are still not idle, despite the possibility of Amnesty International to accelerate progress3.