NTT Report Warns of Rising AI Environmental Impact, Offers Path to Green Innovation
A new white paper from global technology leader NTT DATA, titled Sustainable AI for a Greener Tomorrow, highlights the urgent need to address the escalating environmental consequences of artificial intelligence. As the global adoption of AI technology accelerates, its environmental footprint is expanding rapidly. The report argues that embedding sustainability into every phase of AI development is not only an ethical duty but also a strategic opportunity for businesses to foster long-term resilience, efficiency, and value in an increasingly eco-conscious world.
The Hidden Environmental Costs of AI
The central issue identified in the report is the immense computational power required by modern AI systems. This drives a dramatic surge in electricity consumption, particularly for training complex large language models, running inference engines, and operating always-on AI services. Researchers estimate that by 2028, AI-related tasks could be responsible for over half of all power consumption within data centers. However, the environmental toll extends beyond energy. The report also points to significant water usage for cooling data center infrastructure, the demand for rare-earth minerals to produce specialized hardware, and a growing volume of e-waste from discarded technology.
As AI’s capabilities grow, so does its resource intensity, making a paradigm shift toward green innovation essential. The NTT DATA paper frames this environmental challenge as a critical opportunity for the technology sector. By prioritizing sustainable AI practices from the outset, developers and businesses can mitigate these negative impacts while steering technological progress toward a more responsible future. Making AI development greener is presented not as a constraint but as a vital pathway to ensuring the long-term viability and positive contribution of this transformative technology.
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