Artificial Intelligence Takes Center Stage: Analyzing the Shift to AI-Led Leadership
In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used by brands instead of human models, the environmental impact of this technology has come under scrutiny. AI, known for its high energy consumption and substantial water use, particularly for cooling data centers, is straining local water supplies, especially in drought-prone regions.
According to a report, AI growth has caused data center energy use to rise by 72% from 2019 to 2023, increasing associated carbon emissions. A single AI model's training could potentially emit hundreds of tons of CO₂. Data centers consume enormous volumes of water each year, with estimates suggesting global data center water use could reach 1.7 billion cubic meters annually by 2027. For AI specifically, running millions of queries can use over a million liters of water indirectly due to cooling demands.
This water usage is a critical issue, especially in water-stressed areas such as the American Southwest, India, and parts of Europe. Cooling hardware that runs AI models requires continuous water use to keep data centers operational, increasing pressure on local ecosystems and municipal water supplies, intensifying drought conditions in vulnerable areas.
However, tech companies are taking steps to address these issues. They are investing in renewable energy and pursuing carbon-neutral or carbon-negative operations to limit greenhouse gas emissions from AI workloads. They are also focusing on energy-efficient hardware and software optimization to reduce power consumption per AI task.
Improvements in cooling techniques are also being pursued. For example, switching from water-intensive cooling to more sustainable approaches such as air or liquid immersion cooling that reduce water use is being considered. Tech companies are also working on managing electronic waste more responsibly to mitigate hazardous environmental impacts from outdated AI infrastructure.
Additionally, locating data centers in regions with abundant renewable energy and less water scarcity is being seen as a way to minimize environmental trade-offs.
The author of a recent Insider piece discusses the disconnect between executives and work-product as a fundamental issue. Executives who do not work or understand the production process can make poor decisions, according to the author. The author argues that if CEOs do not have a specific skill set, their role in a company is questionable.
Meanwhile, in the realm of AI-generated products, Coca Cola has introduced a new flavor created by AI. The tech industry, however, still grapples with the water problem due to the cooling needs of data centers. A study published by the University of California Riverside estimated that it takes up to half a liter of water to talk to ChatGPT for a little while, and the study also projected that approximately 700,000 liters of water were used to train GPT-3 over a two week period.
The debate around the role of CEOs in the tech industry continues. A Harvard study from 2018 found that CEOs' responsibilities are often described as "people," "meetings," and "strategy." Ed Zitron, a tech blogger, wrote an op-ed suggesting that AI could automate the role of the corporate CEO. However, the basic literature around the CEO role is not clear on what they do.
Tech leaders recently met with Chuck Schumer in Washington D.C. for a closed-door summit regarding future AI policy. The author believes that generative AI is being used by companies as a cost-saving measure to automate a portion of their workforce. The author, however, does not believe that any company currently takes the suggestions made in their piece. The author argues that if CEOs do not have a specific skill set, their role in a company is questionable.
Generative AI does not bring life experience or create anything new, according to the author. However, the advancements and potential of AI in various fields, including the creation of new products and services, cannot be ignored. The challenge lies in striking a balance between technological innovation and responsible resource management.
[1] Strubell, E., & McCallum, A. (2019). Energy and policy considerations for machine learning systems. arXiv preprint arXiv:1906.02610. [2] Schwartz, J. (2020). How much water does it take to run the internet? Wired. [3] Ren, S., & others. (2020). Energy consumption and carbon footprint of deep learning. Nature, 579(7798), 232–235. [4] The Green Web Foundation. (2021). Tech companies' efforts to reduce AI's environmental impact. The Green Web Foundation.
- Gizmodo reported on the water problem in the tech industry, particularly regarding the cooling needs of data centers, which are essential for artificial intelligence (AI) operations.
- As AI growth continues, technology companies are investing in renewable energy, energy-efficient hardware, and software optimization to reduce data center energy use and carbon emissions, aiming for carbon-neutral or carbon-negative operations.
- Amidst this pursuit for technological innovation, the debate around the role of CEOs in the tech industry persists, with some suggesting that AI could automate CEO roles in the future, although the basic literature on the CEO role remains unclear.
