As the 20th anniversary of Al Gore’s groundbreaking documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” approaches, the former Vice President is shifting his focus to a new kind of “wrinkle” in the fabric of our society: artificial intelligence. In a recent conversation, Gore spoke candidly about the unexpected intersection of climate change and AI, revealing a growing concern that these two seemingly disparate issues are, in fact, intimately linked.
One of the key areas where Gore sees the connection is in the realm of data. As AI systems increasingly rely on vast amounts of data to learn and improve, they’re also generating a staggering amount of CO2 emissions. The production and transportation of the massive servers and data centers required to support AI workloads are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, with some estimates suggesting that the energy usage of the world’s data centers could account for up to 3.7% of global electricity consumption by 2025. Gore argues that this “digital carbon footprint” must be factored into our broader climate calculations.
But Gore’s concerns extend beyond the technical realm. He’s also worried about the social implications of a world where AI systems are increasingly capable of making decisions that impact our lives – decisions that may be informed by data, but could also perpetuate existing biases and inequalities. As AI begins to play a larger role in areas like climate decision-making, Gore believes we need to ensure that these systems are transparent, accountable, and aligned with our values. It’s a daunting challenge, but one that Gore is eager to tackle – and, in doing so, he’s proving that his commitment to addressing the climate crisis is as sharp as ever.