AI Power Drain: Why Green Hosting Is More Important Than Ever
Artificial intelligence has been experiencing a boom over the past few years, and that exponential growth is not expected to stop anytime soon. Forbes predicts that AI will have an annual growth rate of 37.3% between 2023 and 2030. Just looking at the AI market value over the past few years tells you all you need to know.
From barely over $10 billion in revenue in 2018 to over $100 billion by 2025.
However, all the computing power needed for AI engines seriously affects the global power supply. According to Bloomberg, the world’s data centres (crucial for AI and other kinds of technology, like web hosting) use so much power that they use more electricity than the vast majority of countries. In fact, only 16 countries use more electricity annually than data centres.
So, yes, AI might be able to paint a better picture than I can, and it might be able to write better than I can, but it needs a huge amount of electricity to do so. Meanwhile, all I need is enough caffeine to kill a medium-sized rhino and a healthy dose of self-loathing.
AI Is Straining The Global Power Grid
AI's insatiable appetite for energy is significantly straining the global power grid. Data centres in Australia alone already consume roughly 5% of the nation's generated power. That number is projected to surge to between 8% and 15% by 2030. This not only challenges our power supply but also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
Artificial intelligence is a particularly power-hungry technology, raising serious concerns about its environmental impact and the potential for increased energy costs and even shortages. Though not inevitable, an energy crisis is not an unforeseeable possibility in the wake of the AI boom.
This growing concern is driving major tech companies to invest heavily in green energy solutions. By harnessing renewable sources, they aim to mitigate the strain AI places on the global power grid and ensure a sustainable future for this transformative technology.
Green Energy Powered Artificial Intelligence
Tech giants like Apple and Google are leading the charge toward a greener future. Apple has unveiled its ambitious "Apple 2030" initiative, aiming to make all its products and business operations carbon neutral by 2030 through the use of clean energy and increased recycled materials. Google, too, is taking bold strides, committing to power its entire infrastructure with carbon-free energy by the same year.
At Member Jungle, we're proud to be part of this movement towards sustainability. For years, we've utilised Google's green data centres as the backbone of our online operations. This means that every website we host, including your own, is powered entirely by renewable energy. Moreover, our JungleVision AI image generator also uses Google's AI infrastructure, making it a 100% green energy-powered tool for your creative needs. This means we can all enjoy JungleVision without worrying about the environmental and energy consequences of creating images like this one.
Yes, that’s a fantasy man riding a giant-winged raccoon. The joys of AI.
It’s worth noting that Google’s alternative to Chat-GPT, Google Gemini, also uses green energy, so it may be the best green alternative to Chat-GPT, seeing that as of writing, Microsoft (who hosts and partially owns Chat-GPT) has made no announcement of powering it with green energy.
If you are curious whether Google Gemini is worth using over Chat-GPT, even if you ignore the question of environmental impacts, I will break down that question in detail in ChatGPT vs. Google Gemini: Which Should You Use For Your Club?
Green Membership Management For Your Club Or Association
We believe that technological innovation and environmental responsibility should go hand in hand. By choosing Member Jungle, you're not only gaining access to powerful membership management tools but also supporting a greener future for the digital world.
To find out more about How Member Jungle is helping the environment, check out either Green Membership Management: Help Your Club, Help The Planet or How Member Jungle Steps Lightly On The Planet: Animal Adoptions.
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